


The things we do for love

by La_perlas_mermaid



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 08:57:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 52,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19826803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/La_perlas_mermaid/pseuds/La_perlas_mermaid
Summary: What would have happened to the nighthowler case if Nick was working for Mr Big and Judy was a poor bunny down on her luck and forced to work as a stripper? . A very dark AU with sex, violence and gore.





	The things we do for love

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a story I posted a while ago on FF.net, I really wanted to post it here once my beta reader had polished it since it did have some flaws. But certain issues in FF,net had driven me to post it here sooner in case the story got deleted in that site. My beta reader is Jknight97 and I am so happy to have him helping me with this, once all the finished touches are done I'll update the final version.
> 
> Also I recommend you don't try to read this all at once, first because it's really long and second because the shifting POV can get a little jarring without some time to separate them.

The things we do for love

Chapter I

From the private diary of Mister Big:  
I’ve always considered myself to be a reasonable mammal, perhaps a bit too reasonable for my own good, I never killed a mammal that didn’t deserve it and I never disrespected those who respected me. Perhaps that was my fault, they misunderstood my reasonable way of doing business with a weak character and decided to cross me in the worst way imaginable. Very soon they will realize of their mistake.

From Nick’s POV:  
Snow falls in Tundratown. It always did and always will. The large gates close with a metal screech behind me, two large polar bears say their goodbyes and I nod at them before going my way.

The conversation I just had with my boss brings more shivers on my spine that the snow falling around me.

"Nick, I care about you and you know it. You have always been faithful to me and very efficient, but the times are changing and a gang war is coming. There is no place in this world for half allegiances; you are either in or out. So is with a heavy heart that I must ask you to prove yourself to the rest of the gang or finish our association and head your own way. You are the only one that can bring justice to my family. Give me the revenge I seek and you will have everything you want. Deny my request and I must ask you to leave the family’s protection." Mister Big had told me in his usual gentle voice. For an arctic shrew smaller than my paw, he could sure scare the shit out of me.

I like Mr. Big. Of the three mafia bosses that run Zootopia, he is the only one with principles. If you are on his side he will offer you all the protection and resources you need. But if you betray him... well let's just say there is a large collection of mammal popsicles suspended below the Tundratown snow.

For years I had been basically an independent hustler with my buddy Finn, but you cannot work on the Zootopia streets unless you make arrangements with at least one of the crime families So I chose Big. For years, our agreement was simple. He would make me run a few errands, check on some of his smaller businesses, or some petty little insignificant task. For those errands, I didn’t charged him anything but he guaranteed my safety, either from rival gangs or the police.

Sadly, the rivalry between the three bosses is gaining heat and now independent contractors, like yours truly, have to either join the mafia or cut ties with it, leaving yourself unprotected on the street. I am afraid that if I lose his support I’d only end up in a grave or a jail cell. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. Joining Mr. Big is not a bad career move. They offer an endless supply of fancy black suits, all the vodka you can drink, a steady paycheck and above all, respect. All my life I have been treated like useless scum unworthy of any trust or even a modicum of dignity, so the ability to finally walk into a room and have other mammals bow their heads in respect would be more than any fox could ever aspire to.

The problem for me is the initiation ritual. Mr. Big hands you a photograph of a mammal and you have to kill him or her in less than twenty-four hours. Most of the time is either a traitor or a member of a rival gang, but I have never killed anyone and I'm not eager to start now.  
In my hand there's the picture of Duke Weaselton, a third class low stakes criminal with too little brains and too big of a mouth, he made the gargantuan error of accidentally killing Mr. Big's daughter Fru Fru while running from the cops in Little Rodentia and now the little shrew wants his head on a plate. The worst part is that Duke was running from the cops after stealing a bag full of onions, so now Fru Fru was dead and a war between mafias was going to explode for what? Onions! It would be funny if it wasn't so depressing.  
Weaselton is an idiot but not stupid enough to stay in the open and wait for the Mafia lord to send his usual goons and finish him off, so they sent me to do it knowing Duke would never expect a low life good for nothing fox to be a hit mammal. I know the stakes are too high for me to back down, the beloved daughter of one of Zootopia's most powerful mafia boss was dead and that meant a lot of heads would roll. To make things worse I'm supposed to also find who was behind Weaslton's theft since whatever of the other mafia bosses was responsible would also succumb to the shrew's rage.  
So yeah, no pressure.  
I head to the Nocturnal District, before I kill the weasel I'm supposed to check on my bosses strip club and make sure things run smoothly.  
The club is called "Down Low", classy isn't it? It's supposed to be a pun because it is in the basement of a fancy restaurant. Inside the place is high class, with marble floors, fine art in the walls and furniture made of the finest redwood. Subtle led lights allow mammals to see the goods on display but give enough of a downcast illusion of privacy.  
The girls are high class too, runway model material. Damn, some of them do work as models while others try to make it as actresses. In the meantime bills need to get paid and if this city thrived in hopes and dreams instead of money Zootopia would be the most powerful place on the planet, so pretty young girls shake their glitter filled thongs for the rich perverts that await below them like crocodiles over a juicy snack.  
I nod at the bartender, he is a large black panther but don't let his appearance fool you, he is one of the kindest gentlemammals you will ever know.  
-"Hello Mr. Wilde"- He says nodding his head towards me. Without asking he serves me a blueberry mojito, he knows it's my favorite drink.  
-"Hey Manchas, how's everything going?"- I ask casually as I sip the delicious beverage. -"Quite well if I must be honest, there are much more clients now than last month. We have some new girls and you know our patrons"- He told me smiling and shaking his head, then very discreetly he gave me a large envelope containing the boss's profits.  
-"Yup those guys sure love some fresh meat"- I say nonchalant as I count the profits, almost twice more than last time, the boss will be pleased.  
The lights dim a little more and the MC, a tiny otter named Mr. Otterton takes the stage. I like the guy, for what I hear he is surrounded all the time by the most appetizing females Zootopia has to offer, but word of mouth says he only has eyes for his darling wife. The girls love him for it though, who knew that strippers liked being treated with respect.  
-"Ladies and gentlemammals, allow me to introduce one of our new performers. Her name is Violet and this is the first time she steps a paw on our humble abode, so please make her feel welcome to our family here in The Down Low."- Loud clapping comes from all the patrons; new girls are always more than welcome.  
Soft music plays in the background, a tiny adorable bunny with silver gray fur steps on the stage, her small purple bra and panties glimmer under the bright lights. I usually ignore the girls in the club, it's not professional to stare at Mr Big's merchandise, but I am curious about a bunny striper. You see bunnies usually crowd strip clubs all over the city, there's too many of them and the stereotype of the slutty hare has been so overdone that classy clubs don't bother with them anymore, so for a bunny to make it to this club she has to be something very special.

Wish I may, wish I might  
Find my one true love tonight  
Do you think that it could be you?

Leona del Rey's sultry song plays as the slender bunny twirls around the shiny stripper pole, her figure contorts with a grace even a professional ballet dancer could envy.

Instinctively I edge closer to the stage, taking a seat in the nearest table I find empty. What can I say? I like looking at bunnies. Ages ago my species used to hunt them for food so I guess my brain is wired to follow their movements waiting for the right moment to pounce on them. No of course I don't want to eat her, what do you think I am? A savage? I just like watching them with their soft fluffy tails and perky cute little ears.  
Her body is a masterpiece, a perfect tiny waist with round full hips and curvy thighs, her breasts are small and perky, completely proportionate with her slender figure. None of that calls my attention; you do not work in this club unless your body is flawless. Her dance moves are fantastic though, the way she comes up and down the pole is not a raunchy dance to make old rich farts jerk off, no her dance is a fucking work of art. Her moves should be recorded for posterity and preserved for the enjoyment of all mammalkind, from the tips of her hind paws to the hairs in her ears her whole body moves in perfect synchronization in the most glorious amalgamation of grace and coordination. I stare at her in trance, memorizing her every move, storing it in my memories so I can travel back to them whenever life gives me a hard time. It is pathetic I know, but her lovely moves will probably be the best source of comfort when I lie alone in my bed tonight.

So enthralled I am in the glorious spectacle that I feel like only a few seconds have passed until the show is over.  
She spins on the floor and slowly kneels moving slowly on all fours, a mattress of dollars have formed at her paws, there's not enough room on her underwear for all that cash. Then she looks up at me and without realizing I am lost beyond hope.  
They are purple, her shining large eyes are a bright purple with thick eyelashes and she has that melancholic expression that tugs on my heart strings and makes my chest feel like I'm about to burst.  
There is a sob story behind your eyes isn't it sweetheart? There is always a sob story behind the pretty girls in The Down Low, happy females don't end up stripping in a pole strutting their stuff for every horny male in sight.  
The large paw of a polar bear lands in my shoulder, I look up and see Kevin's empathic gaze.  
-"You enjoy the show, yes?"- The large mammal says with amusement.  
I nod nervously and try to go away, I don't want my boss to think I'm wasting my time where I should be heading straight to his manor and deliver his money but the strong paw keeps me frozen in my place, he won't let me move.  
-"No rush Mr. Wilde, Mr. Big says he gave you a picture"- His thick Russian accent makes me want to hide below the table next to me; I nod nervously and avoid his gaze.  
-"Very good, I welcome you to our family. The boss likes you and I hope that you don't betray his trust"- He says with a mixture of fondness and pride, yet I grow more terrified at every passing minute.  
-"Come with me, I have a welcome gift for you"- He then guides me to the back of the club and I follow him wishing with all my heart I could run away from this place.  
Kevin pushes me inside the dark room that sits even lower than the ground level on the club, it's usually reserved for private parties and only the most powerful mammals of the criminal world have ever stepped inside of it. I stare at the huge luxurious room and my jaw drops when I notice that the lovely bunny, Violet, was waiting in there for me.  
-"Miss Violet, this is Mr. Wilde. He is the new member of Mr. Big's family, be nice with him yes?"-

I see her looking at me and then at Kevin, she forces a smile on her face and gives him a quick nod but I can't help noticing the way her tiny nose twitches in terror. If only she knew I was as terrified as her.  
So this is it then, Mr Big is giving me one hell of a welcoming present. I should just lounge myself at her, like my ancestors would. Not to devour her, well at least not in the literal sense, but to ravage that bunny until the hunger I never knew was inside of me was finally quenched and I could even for one moment forget the ugly shit storm my life had become.  
I hear Kevin closing the door behind us and I can't help to tense at the realization that I am finally alone with her, in a dark room, while she is in her tiny lacey underwear.  
I feel numb as I move closer to Violet, the smell of her fear invades my nostrils and my instincts howl in glee. She tries to be brave, even smile, but her body shakes with terror and her eyes are on the verge of tears.  
The thing is that I am NOT a savage animal. I might be a worthless low life but I am not the kind of monster who could look at those adorable purple eyes and still cause her harm. I sigh loudly, feeling like an idiot for what I am about to do.  
I remove my green Hawaiian shirt and put it on her shoulders, so she can use it to cover herself.  
-"There you go sweetheart, it would be a shame if you caught a cold"- I said turning my back on her and sitting on the comfy suede couch as far from her as the room lets me.  
-"Are you not going to...?"- She asks terrified, it's the first time I hear her voice. It is not as sharp and meek as I expected, she sounds different from all the bunnies I know.  
-"I don't want to do this anymore than you do"- I lie, because god dammit I WANT to do it, just not like this.  
-"Please sir, don't tell Kevin I didn't..."- She says looking ashamed at the floor –"do my job. He would fire me and I really need the money. My family is about to lose its farm if we don't pay our debt to a loan shark and if we lose it my parents, my brothers and sisters and all their children would be homeless!"-  
So there is the sob story, most girls would embellish theirs so they can get sympathy from their patrons and hers is just so... heartwarming that anyone else would believe she is lying. But I wouldn't be alive after working in the Zootopia streets for so long if I didn't know how to read other mammals, and my gut is telling me she says the truth.  
Just in case I pry further, the easiest way to tell if someone is lying is to let them talk, liars usually end up tripping when they need to give details of their story.  
-"Please fluff, tell me more about it"-  
She hugs herself around my shirt and I am tempted to take it back once our time is up, if only so I can at least get a token with her scent.  
-"A year ago a fire erupted in Bunnyburrow, my home. It burned my family's farm almost completely, my parents worked their asses off to rebuild it from scratch but they needed money. Even after they spent my entire college fund it barely covered for half of the expenses, so they asked for a loan at the bank but they were denied because we were poor. They were so desperate that they had to borrow money from a loan shark, the farm was saved but he elevated the interest rate so much that our debt is right now basically impossible to pay. He has the scripture of our land, if we don't pay the interests every month he will take it away and throw my family to the street."- Her voice is raspy and grave, I see the raw sadness in her face, but she never broke down or cried. She is tougher than she looks.

The story fits well, the fire she talked about was on the news for several weeks last year and I know many farmers lost their lands and their livelihoods back then. I suspect that is the reason so many does begun to crowd the strip clubs and whore houses lately in a desperate effort to make ends meet.  
-"You do what you have to do to survive right?"- I say with sadness, knowing too well how it feels to be forced to do something you hate just so you could live another day.  
-"Yeah"- She gives me a sad smile and my muzzle can't help to twist in a smile of my own. –"So what are you celebrating? Kevin just told me Mr Big only uses this room for special occasions"- She seemed almost perky when she changed the subject.  
-"My grand entrance to Mr Big's "Family" I guess"- I scoff at the idea that the whole mafia seems more excited about it than me.  
-"You don't sound too happy about it"- She speaks to me like she actually cares about what I have to say, something that rarely if ever happened in my life.  
-"Let's just say that I'm not a big fan of the dirty work that position requires"- I tell her dryly -"Then why are you joining them?"- She asks tilting her head, exposing her long thin neck and part of her left shoulder. I couldn't help noticing she isn't afraid of me anymore and her posture is much more relaxed.  
-"As I said, you do what you have to do to survive"- I look at her and see sympathy in her eyes, it was the first time in over two decades since I saw it, the last female that ever gave a single fuck about me was my mom and she died when I was twelve. I take a deep breath and continue explaining –"The thing is, that I don't know if I can do it. Even if my life depends on it"-  
-"Mr Wilde, I know how you feel. You find yourself in a position where you have to either do something horrible or give up and let life tear you apart. It is terrifying and you feel like you would rather die than suffer through the indignity of it, but in the end the survival instinct kicks in and you realize there is no way out. So all you have to do is quit fighting with yourself, you need to realize sometimes we do horrible things not because we want to but because we have to."- She says removing my shirt from her shoulders, she isn't afraid or ashamed anymore, merely defiant.  
Is she actually urging me to have sex with her?  
-"I'm sorry carrots"- I say mocking her farmer past –"But being called a horrible thing you have to soldier through is not much of a turn on for me"- I take my shirt from her tiny paws and put it back in my torso.  
-"My name is Judy Mr Wilde. And no you are not horrible, but you are my first client and I'm afraid the next ones will be. You are a very kind and honorable fox, and once you get through this rough patch I believe you have to potential to be great"- Her soft paws feel like cotton on my cheek, I relish on the feel of it.  
Her words on the other hand, if I were a millionaire I would give her all of my fortune to make her say them again. Never had I heard such sweet words of encouragement, my heart flutters in my chest and I feel like even if I never get to make love to her and I got killed after refusing to kill Duke I can say I died happy tonight.  
Her sweet fuzzy lips touch mine in an almost chaste kiss, so that's how it feels when you kiss someone that actually likes you.  
My paws rest on her small back, her soft fluffy fur feels like a worm cloud under my claws.

-"Are you sure this is what you want?"- I stammer trying to block the voice in my head that says "You idiot, just shut up! We are this close of getting the bunny and you keep steering her away!"  
-"Mister Wilde..."-  
-"Call me Nick"- I said panting  
-"You are my first client and you have been nice to me, in this club that is a rarity. As I told you, the other clients will not be as kind as you, if I'm going to.... do this at least I want to start with someone I like"- She says looking at me with sadness and shame.  
She was right, the patrons that come in here are usually the type of mammal that has it all, and vanilla sex is usually not their style. It breaks my heart knowing that sweet little doe is looking forward a lot of pain and humiliation at the hands of every rich pervert in Zootopia. She kisses me again, more daring this time. My mouth explores hers and the sweet smell of her arousal mingled with her fear stirs my feral instincts into overdrive, I hug her tight her soft body seems made for cuddles. I should be more gentle but I have bottled my instincts for too long now, I have spent too many nights alone and angry at my life, my body wants her and it won't stop until I'm satisfied.  
My paws will not be bothered with unclasping her bra; I simply tear it off, purple sequins fall scattered on the floor. At this show of force she panics, jumps and turns away from me but I tackle her to the floor, my body on top of her, my front paws over hers my legs between her knees keeping them spread.  
She squirms below me not knowing that only makes me want her more, but my last bastion of civility kicks in.  
-"Judy, I know you are scared but believe me when I say I won't hurt you. If you want this to stop just say No, and I will leave you alone"- I say wondering where the nearest place where I can take a cold shower is.  
-"You promise you won't hurt me?"- She says terrified.  
-"I would never do that"- I say honestly.  
A shy "ok" leaves her parted lips and my body cannot hold back my lust anymore, she stays still as I remove her panties and my own trousers.  
I am bigger than her, going all in might cause her harm. My paws roam over her lithe soft body as I think of a way to mate with her without hurting her, I take special care with her shoulders and the taut muscles in her legs, she is still lying face down on the think carpet of the VIP room but she doesn't smell of fear anymore. Slowly her body relaxes into my greedy paws and I cannot help myself as I lie once more on top of her, my arms supporting my weight.  
My snout places itself next to her slender neck and I kiss it with abandon, then with a lot of care my jaws place themselves at each side of her neck and I give her a soft bite. There is something I'm looking for as my fangs gently scrape her delicate flesh and I find it right next to her pulse point. I add a little more pressure on that area and feel her go limp, her eyes turn glazed and a guttural moan escaped her lips.  
My ancestors used to bite into that point when hunting prey, it paralyzed them immediately so they wouldn't wiggle out of their grip, nowadays if you do it gently the "victim" of the bite merely feels a rush through their bodies and their muscles relax for a few minutes, that way I can enter her without causing her pain.

She is hot, tight, wet and glorious. I am mounting her the way a wild canide would do his bitch, I give love bites to her neck and shoulders and slowly I push deeper and deeper inside of her, mindful of whatever noise of pain she might make.  
Her daze fades away and she begins to move with me, we are merely animals in heat now, I'm in all fours like a stone age fox and she trashes below me like ancient prey. I no longer dare to bite her neck anymore, I'm afraid my fangs could go too deep, even when she begged me to do it. So I bite her shoulder instead, it won't draw blood but it might leave a mark.  
Our pace becomes more frantic with every minute until a haze of lust overwhelms me and blinding white light shines behind my eyes, the climax crashes over me and I fall over her soft frame. As soon as I regain my senses I try to move away from her but to my dismay I realize I have knotted inside of her and now we are stuck together. Carefully I maneuver our bodies so this time I'm the one on the floor and she lies down on top of my torso, now she is facing me instead of being on her back.  
Her arms are shaky as she lifts herself up, she sits on top of me still stuck on my member, and her eyes are pools of lust as she begins to move up and down in a swift cadence. Apparently I had reached orgasm but she hasn't yet. It isn't an issue though, I am still hard inside of her and she is taking advantage of that fact, the sight of her lovely perfect body bouncing on top of me is the most exhilarating spectacle I have ever witnessed. I howl in joy like a stupid wolf when we both reached our orgasm and I feel growing even bigger inside of her.  
The issue of getting knotted with your mate is that there is no telling when you might get untangled, it is actually worse when the male is very attracted to the female and is either a virgin or hasn't had sex in a while. I don't expect to be untangled soon and it doesn't help our predicament the fact that she is so tiny.  
For now it doesn't matter, we are both satisfied and comfortable in each other's arms. I caress and kiss every part of her body I can reach, looking for the sweet spots that would make her moan, shake or giggle. It's like her body was a wonderland for my curious fingers and I did not want to get off that ride.  
We kept saying words of encouragement and affection for almost an hour later, even after we got loose.  
.....  
I came back to Mr. Big's manor at the break of dawn, with the earnings of the strip club and a new business proposal.  
The arctic shrew sits in his tiny chair on top of a big desk, I stand in front of him all too aware that below the rug that lies in the floor there is a trapdoor that leads you to freezing water.  
-"I heard there is something you want to discuss with me"- Mr Big is smiling; he knows he has me right where he wants.  
-"Yes Mr Big, I am going to kill Weaselton and every mammal you tell me to, I'll be the most loyal assassin you could ever hire"- I hide in my sly smile and smug gaze the fear and trepidation building in my gut. –"But there is a little thing though, I won't even charge you anything or ask for anything else for the rest of my life as long as you make me a teeny tiny favor"- I say slouching a little with my tail between my legs and my clasped hands at the side of my face, am I below begging in my precarious position? No, no I'm not.  
-"And what would that favor be?"- He answers in his smooth voice.

-"There is a stripper that goes by the name of Jud- um Violet, her family is victim of a loan shark, if you could cancel her debt so she could go back to her farm and her family I would be eternally grateful"-  
I hear chuckles all around me from the group of polar bears; the pathetic little fox lovesick on a prostitute bunny, yup that isn't humiliating at all. Still don't care though; she gave me the best night in my life and the first signal of real affection I have experienced in years. Is that worth being a slave to the mafia? Yes, yes it is.  
Mr. Big isn't laughing; he has a dead serious and solemn expression, which can be either really bad or pretty good.  
-"Nick, if you bring me Weaselton's head along with the name of his associates I give you my word that her family's farm will be safe, the loan shark will not bother them anymore and she won't have to keep working in our club. Do we have a deal?"-  
His tone is grave and dangerous, he wants revenge for his daughter and I am his best option to achieve that and he knows it, compared to that a little country bunny's freedom is a cheap price.  
-"Yes sir"- I respond sounding a lot calmer than I actually am.  
-"Good, you have ten hours starting now. Just one more thing, Kevin tells me Violet has become very popular after her first dance. So much than Mayor Lionheart, one of our most loyal patrons wants a private dance from her tonight. Keep your part of the deal and she will be by your side, fail to deliver and she will have to take special care of him as well"-  
I nod, bow my head and leave his manor as fast as possible. Everyone knows Lionheart is one of the sleaziest bastards in Zootopia, I'm terrified of what he might make her do. The Mr. Big I used to know would never pull such a cheap blow on me like that, dangling her well being over my head.  
I shudder thinking that his grief is gonna turn him in someone as cold hearted and cruel as his other counterparts. Oh well, it's not like I can take anything back now; I made a deal I better keep it.  
....  
The sun shines bright in Downtown Savanna and even with my aviators on the light still blinds me, I know everybody in this city and it doesn't take long for me to find Weaselton selling pirated movies next to Savanna Central station.  
-"Hey Duke, how's everything going?"- I tell him carefully schooling my face in its usual lay back expression, the moment he senses my intentions he'll run away and that sneaky little asshole is an expert in disappearing from sight.  
-"What do you want Wilde? Don't you have some paw-bullshit-psicles to sell today?"- He says twisting his mouth in an arrogant snarl and throwing a toothpick at my face. -"Actually..."- I say lowering my glasses and giving him a mischievous look –"I have some contacts that say there is a very important shipment coming with strange plants from Amazonia, I know a guy who knows a guy that works for security in the docks. It could be an easy job, we go in and out before they even know what's missing"- His eyes light up and I can see dollar signs glistening in them, but then he pouts and looks at the floor, his shoulders droop.  
-"Sorry Wilde, it seems like a good gig and you always have the best intel, but I have to lay low for a while"- He says disappointed  
-"Why? what happened?"- I do hope I can fake being this oblivious and concerned, I hope I'm not pushing it.

-"I was working for a guy named Doug, he runs an operation in the abandoned train station. He paid me a lot of cash for stealing some weird onions but a rhino copper spotted me so I hid in Little Rodentia knowing he wouldn't be able to follow me there, the thing is that they were waiting for me on the other side and before I could escape they had me surrounded, many of the little mice begun to fight back and attack me so I panicked and threw a giant donut at them and it landed right into Mr. Big's daughter. She was crushed in seconds."-  
I whistled as I heard the story –"So what are you gonna do now?"-  
-"I'm meeting with Doug tonight at his place; he'll give me enough cash so I can leave the country."- He told me in the smuggest and punchable expression I have ever seen.  
-"You know my buddy Finn knows a guy who's really good at making fake passports, if you are leaving the country those could come in handy, they aren't cheap but they are worth it"- I give him my usual sly smile, years of hiding my true feelings are paying off, he doesn't suspect a thing.  
Weaselton falls for it bait, hook and sinker. I tell him I'll arrange a "meeting" and sell him the fake passport in an hour, he will meet me by the abandoned factory near the bridge I like to sleep under. It is a deserted quiet place, perfect for my plans.  
.....  
It was fast, I jabbed an old dagger right between his neck and chin, and he was gone in a few minutes. It terrifies me of how easy it was, and while I certainly did not like it I am not as shaken as I should be, the world hasn't stopped spinning because Weaselton is no longer in it.  
I should feel guiltier about what I have done, but Judy was right you just suck it up and do it; we all do what we have to do in order to survive.  
I brings me joy knowing that while I have certainly booked a one way ticket to hell my beautiful bunny will be free from this wretched city, I imagine her happily reunited with her family surrounded by nature and clean air, it is the first and probably last good thing I do in my life.  
All things considered it was all worth it.  
…

Chapter 2.  
Duke lays dead on my feet, killing him had been so devastatingly easy. When he came close so I could show him the alleged passport I merely stabbed him with an old rusty dagger I found on the street several years ago, one I kept in case I ever needed to defend myself from whatever trouble I ran into. He gave me a look of utter shock and all I could tell him as an explanation before the light left his eyes is that I did it because it was an order from Mr big. Even in the threshold of death he couldn't believe that I had it in me, in all honesty neither did I. There is no remorse in my soul but no joy either; I have just taken another mammal's life and all I can feel is a numb despondency.  
The thing is that killing him IS the easy part, now I have to do something that makes me want to throw up and I am not sure I can pull this off. This requires a level of ice in your veins that I don't think I can ever accomplish. I could just give the photo of Duke's corpse to any of the polar bears and they would have no problem in cleaning the mess, but I have sold myself to Mr. Big at a pretty high price and the last thing I want is to disappoint him when he is in such a bad mood and he still has Judy in his paws.

Taking a deep breath I realize I wouldn't had been able to do this without my sweet beautiful bunny giving me encouragement and one huge reason to pull this off, so I dial her number hoping that hearing her voice might give me the strength I need.  
The phone rings once, twice, and I fear that maybe she lied when she gave me her number. It was to me a sign of commitment when she gave me her phone because I know from experience how careful strippers are with their personal lives, the fact that she even gave me her real name had been a huge sign of trust. What if all our romance was only in my head? What if...  
-"Hello?"- Her sweet voice rings in my ears as a choir of angels, she had trusted me, and it wasn't something I imagined.  
-"Hey carrots!"- I say cheerfully managing to hide some of my fear.  
-"Nick! How are you?"- I blush as I hear her flirty giggle.  
-"I "- My mouth is dry and I have trouble finding the right words, something that is quite rare in me since I had made a career out of my silver tongue –"Need your help with something"- -"Sure what is it?"- She says concerned, oh god, I have never thought I could hear concern for me from another mammal ever again.  
Last night when I told her what I had to do in order to survive she had gave me encouragement so I could finish that task, now I need her advice again. I need all the strength her sweet voice can give.  
-"I need to do something pretty awful, disgusting even; it's something for the boss. But for the life of me I can't force myself to do it"- I am terrified to think that if she knows what I am about to do she will hate me.  
I can hear her sigh from the other side of the line –"I know how you feel, I am looking forward a difficult night myself"- her sad voice reminds me of what it's at stake, Kevin probably informed her of Lionheart's special request, yup I think I am pretty motivated right now. As long as I live I won't let her go through a night with that twisted fuck. –"This is what I would do; when I was in the farm and I had to do something dirty and gross (which is like half of farming work) I would just go to my happy place. You'd be surprised of how quickly you can get used to do stuff you found impossible before, it's like the gross reflex tampers down after continuous exposure, it is never easy or fun but in time you learn to live with it."- She hesitates before continuing in a softer, almost broken voice –"At least I hope that's the case for me tonight and you right now"-  
Aaand that's all I needed to hear, the fear and sadness in her voice thinking of what Lionheart might ask from her is all the motivation I need. I really want to tell her that she doesn't have to worry about it because I will make sure she is free from that awful club, but I have made it this far into the dangerous Zootopia streets by being paranoid and always having a backup plan.  
-"Thanks for the advice"- I tell her then an idea strikes me –"I tell you what carrots why don't I come get you at about five this afternoon at your place? We could hang out together"-  
-"Like a date?"- Her sweet voice seems as excited as a little kit, when she isn't being smothered by the awful reality around her she can have a very bubbly personality.  
-"Yes Judy like a date"- I say cheerfully. But no, it's not a date, it's an escape plan. If I somehow fail in my mission or if Mr. Big doesn't keep his word then no matter what life throws at me I'll meet her at five and drive her out of the country. But the least she knows the better.

She gives me her address and we say our goodbyes, I hang up and look at Weaselton's corpse, his mouth had involuntarily twisted in a weird snarl as if even in death he was laughing at me.  
Do I have to do this? Yes, yes I do.  
Can I do this? Yes, yes I do.  
Do I want to do this? Oh fuck no!  
I take a saw I had just bought from the occasion in my paws as I look at the dead body, when Mr. Big asks for someone's head it is not an expression, it's an order. The tool moves fast at first but then it jams when I hit the bone, my only choice is to work harder on it.  
Happy place... happy place.... Happy place...  
I close my eyes at the gruesome spectacle but my arm keeps moving. I see in my mind the beautiful dance Judy gave me last night so I don't have to see the pool of blood forming at my feet; I focus on her moans when we made love so I don't have to hear the crunching of bones below me.  
Happy place... happy place.... Happy place...  
...  
It's over, my paws shake and I have to force myself not to throw up all over the place. Seeing the blood splattered not only in the floor around be but also on the walls has finally made me realize of what have I done, I am a cold blooded assassin now. This city has finally done it; it finally created another monster, the type that makes mothers hide their kits at home the moment the sun sets so they don't end up as another number in the depressing murder statistics plaguing the news.  
And I am not done.  
I place Duke's head in a box with a plastic bag inside so he doesn't leak and leave his body to rot on the filthy floor of the abandoned factory, not caring much about cleaning the crime scene. I could impale the corpse on a stick and parade with it around the police's first district with a sign saying "I killed this guy" and the cops would not be able to arrest me, in Zootopia is the mob that rule, cops are just allowed to do their job once in a while. And in this town you don't go to jail unless the mob bosses let you.  
This is also supposed to be a message for the coppers as well, their fucked up response towards Duke's actions in Little Rodentia allowed Fru Fru to get killed, if only they managed to hire mammals smaller than a wolf on the force things could have been different.  
I scrubbed some of the blood from my fur, but I am thankful of its natural red hue because there is no amount of scrubbing that can wash what I did away.  
Finn came to pick me up an hour later, he saw me holding a cardboard box that reeked of blood and death, but he knew better than to ask any questions.  
-"I need you to take me to Tundratown"- I told him, my voice hollow and emotionless, my whole system is still in shock.  
He merely nodded with a sympathetic look, he's not an idiot and while he may never know the details he can put two and two together. -"Got it"- Was his only response.  
...  
I stand in front of Mr Big now, the cardboard box in my paws. Raymond takes the box from me and rummages into its awful content for a minute, removing the plastic bag he grabs the head by one ear and dangles it in front of the arctic shrew.  
I see his minuscule paws shake from suppressed emotion until he clenches them into fists, for a moment I fear he might cry but then he draws a shaky breath and regains his composure. The murderer of his precious daughter's head dangles in front of him just like he asked but we all know this is far from over.  
-"Tell me Nick, did you know who is behind this?"- Yuri tells me towering behind his boss, allowing the shrew some time to recover.  
-"He was contacted and paid to steal the onions by a guy named Doug"- I say as I hand him a yellow paper with his number, I found it in Duke's back pocket after I chopped his head off. –"That is all I know"-  
Yuri nods and says –"That is more than enough; I will personally find this Doug and deal with him"-  
Mr. Big bows his head and stands from his chair, he walks towards me with his arms outreached, I step closer to him and I make the gesture of kissing his left and then his right cheek.  
-"You have done well Nick, I welcome you to the family"- His voice is distant, almost haunted.  
Behind me I hear cheers from the polar bears; they shake my paw with enthusiasm and give me friendly slaps on the back. They keep telling me of how big of a party they're gonna throw in my honor, to them this is a joyful occasion, but to me this is the final nail in the coffin of my last shred of decency.  
I couldn't care less about all of this, about this stupid mafia war, this awful job and above all this cut throat family. But there is one final thing to do before I buckle up and ride my way to hell.  
-"Mr. Big, I made my part of the deal. Could you now do your part and help Violet?"- I say bowing my head with my tail between my legs, now it's not the time to play tough guy, not with the endgame so close to my reach.  
He snaps his fingers and Yuri goes to the back of the office, five minutes later he is bringing Judy along with him, she is wearing well worn jeans and a pink plaid shirt. She looks so normal, more like a sweet pretty farm bunny and less like the femme fatale that had mystified me on stage. Her sunny smile makes me wag my tail and for a moment I forget all the awful things that had led me to where I am now.  
She runs towards me and gives me a big hug, her cuddly body melts in my grasp, her soft fluffy fur smells just like home. All is well in the world as I hold her in my arms.  
But happiness never lasts, I look up from our embrace and see the tight serious expression the mafia boss is wearing, my instincts are telling me something is very wrong. She feels me tense and breaks the hug, and then she looks at me and follows my gaze towards Mr. Big. -"She is free to go back to her farm isn't she?"- My tone is still leveled and respectful but I cannot hide the small tinge of menace from my voice.  
-"I told you her family's farm would be safe, that the loan shark would not bother them anymore and she wouldn't have to keep working in our club, but Nick I never said she could go home."- He says sadly.  
My paws bury in the fabric on her shirt, the fur on my back stands up and I begin to hyperventilate. He had hustled me so hard he made my head spin, I should had seen this coming but I guess I was too lovesick to think straight, when the mafia has leverage on you they are not gonna give that away.  
Judy caresses my cheek and gives me a look that says everything will be fine, it is only the hypnotizing effect her purple eyes have on me that makes me believe her, and I begin to relax under her tiny paws. She then stands up between me and the shrew and tells him defiantly.  
-"What do you want from me?"- Her voice is leveled and steady; she is standing in front of one of the most powerful mammals in Zootopia, surrounded by several polar bears that could maul her in seconds the moment their boss gives them the signal. And yet she isn't afraid.  
My poor bunny, either you are very brave or really dumb.  
-"My child, you know too much about our business, I cannot let you run around far from our reach not knowing if someone might pry that information from you. And be assured they will pry, nicely or not."- At the last sentence the shrew point a finger at her and his voice turns menacing.  
-"What could she know? She only worked in your club for a day!"- I say panicking, I want her out of this place like, yesterday, a sweet little bunny like her has no business being here. I can tell this city, this family could tear her apart, it is a miracle she isn't broken already.  
She sighed as her perky little ears drooped, with a sad stare she told me –"I have been working as a waitress in the restaurant on top of the club for almost a year, when the loan shark kept asking for more money I got desperate and told Mr. Manchas about my problem, he contacted me with Mr. Otterton who got me into the Down Low"-  
My jaw drops and I almost feel the floor shaking below me, only to realize that the only thing that's shaking is my wobbly legs. Of course, so that's how she ended up on that stripper pole. The restaurant above the club was allegedly a respectable place but it was merely a front for the Tundratown mafia to mingle with the Zootopia elite, I could only imagine the thousand conversations those sensitive bunny ears could have picked up while she waited their tables. Anyone from the two other mafias to the fucking ZBI would drool on the intel she collected after months working there.  
-"So what do you want her to do now?"- I say schooling my face so it doesn't show how desperate and terrified I am. If I, if we want to make it out of this I cannot show them that they got to me. Even when, yeah, they got me really hard.  
Mr. Big extends his tiny paw, Judy takes the hint and softly kisses the ruby encrusted ring that rest in his finger. Then the boss gives a signal to Raymond and the polar bear hands her a small white envelope.  
I see her whole body tense, she has turned her back on me so I cannot see her face, and slowly I inch closer to her hugging her from behind with my arms wrapped around her waist. I want her to know she is not alone, and that no matter what happens I will get her out of this mess even if I die trying, but then I look over her shoulder and my blood runs cold.  
Inside that envelope was a picture of a pig.  
-"My child, do you understand what that picture means?"- Mr. Big tells her gently, she nods furiously in response.  
Of course she knows, I told her all about it last night while once our bodies had been unstuck after our love making, I remember telling her how scared I was of what was expected of me and she had given me all the encouragement she could, it was the most honest conversation I ever had in my life. We had talked of our fears and problems, things we would never confide in anyone else because we knew that they would laugh at us or judged our poor decisions, and both of us came to the conclusion that we were given the short straw by faith. I swear that we must have been genocides in our previous life because that is the only thing that could explain our bad luck, this world has never given us a chance and I don't see that changing in the future.  
But no, not anymore, they cannot make my sweet bunny go through the same hell I had to. He gave her 24 hours to kill that pig and that in turn gave me more than enough time to plan our escape. As a last effort I try to reason with my boss.  
-"Why are you doing this sir?"- I ask genuinely puzzled, this is not the mammal I know. He was above deceiving innocent civilians who never caused him harm.  
-"As I said Nick, a war is coming and I need all the soldiers I can get"- He says solemn, he isn't happy about his decision either.  
-"So this is it? Are you going to force all your strippers to be your assassins?"- I try very hard to make him realize the ridiculousness of his actions.  
He gives a warm smile to Judy –"Only the smart ones"-  
I was about to give the boss a piece of my mind, not caring if I end up frozen under his office, I made a deal with him and he can't just loophole his way around it. But then I hear her voice, it's steady and resolved, not a hint of doubt.  
-"I'll do it"- She looks at me reassuringly –"It's okay Nick, I want to do this"- There is a raging fire of hatred in her eyes, a fierce determination in her features that makes her tiny frame as threatening as a rabid tiger. Her tone is pure authoritarian when she barks at the bears –"I need a gun"-  
Smiling, Raymond gives her a standard 9mm beretta, I can tell she knows her way around weapons by the way she checked for bullets in the chamber and removed the safety.  
At my shocked expression she merely gives me a big hug, her feathery soft lips inches from my ears, softly she whispers. –"The pig in the picture is my loan shark, and he will never hurt my family again"-  
....  
The rules for Judy are different from the ones the boss applied to me.  
Rule number one: She only has 4 hours or less to kill that pig  
Rule number two: She doesn't have to bring him the pig's head, apparently that is something reserved only for the ones Mr. Big is really angry with. Thank fucking god.  
Rule number three: She will be driven to the place the victim is by Michael, one of the polar bears most faithful to the boss, and then he will personally make sure she comes back to the manor after she does the kill so both of us can have our initiation party before midnight. So there goes our escape plan.  
Not that it would matter though, in a mind fucked way the boss did keep his word, her loan shark would never bother Judy's family again and without that asshole holding over the farm's papers her family will once again own their own land. Judy is more than willing to sell her soul to rid her family of that burden, the same way I tried to sell mine to save hers. You know what they say about dancing with the devil or looking at the abyss for that matter.  
At this point all I can do is be by her side at all times to give her support, I would give my right arm to be the one pulling the hit so she doesn't have to, shit considering what that scumbag did to her I would find pleasure doing it. But one thing all the mobsters can recognize is the difference between a mammal that has committed a murder and one who hasn't. The difference is easy to spot, there is something in their eyes, I have recognized that look myself and now I can see it in my own eyes right now. At least they let me join her during her first kill, not only for backup but also for protection, so the pig doesn't try to hurt her.

A grim determination invades her usually adorable face; the gun rests over the drinks cabinet in the large limo that is standard issue in the Tundratown mafia.  
-"You are a dumb fox"- She tells me angry  
-"Excuse me?"- I say lifting an eyebrow.  
-"You were this close to confront Mr. Big, if I hadn't stepped in he would've had no choice but to ice you. I am serious Nick, I've seen mammals disappear for much less"- I had forgotten how concern can easily turn into anger on your behalf.  
The shrew was right, she did know too much-"I just really don't like it when I make a deal and the other mammal doesn't do his part"- I take a relaxed stance in the limo's seat and put on my usual sly smirk.  
Her paw rests over mine –"Thank you Nick"- her voice is now soft and empathic.  
-"For what? Dragging you into the mafia?"- I joke so I don't break into tears, but I can tell she can see right through me and knows how heartbroken I am for not being able to save her. -"For saving my family. Without you they would still have to respond to the loan shark and I would still be dancing semi naked on a pole... or worse"- Her ears slowly perk up, her big bright eyes open and close in the cutest and most blatant display of sweetness. She has me wrapped in her little finger and she knows it, now she's using her fluffy powers to ease some of my guilt away.  
We arrive into a small office in the middle of Savannah District, according to a golden plaque in the front door it belongs to a Chad Hogward. Once inside I am surprised of how clean bright and official this place looks, any mammal desperate to come to this guy would be easily driven into a false sense of security. Judy speaks to the receptionist, a cute koala, who leads us inside Hogward's office.  
The pig doesn't fall into the fat stereotype, he is actually slender. He gives Judy a merry handshake and a polite smile, as if he were greeting and old respected client. I want to beat the smile out of that pig, but sadly this is no longer my fight, so I merely stand behind her with my right paw resting on the hidden gun I carry on my back attached to my belt.  
-"So Judy, have you brought me the paycheck?"- His polite smile turns evil  
-"No Chad, I won't give you my money anymore, or my family's"- There is no hesitation in her voice, I begin to suspect that country bumpkin bunny is tougher than I am.  
His smile turns into a scowl of rage but in less than a minute that expression changes into smug arrogance.  
-"Very well then, I shall keep the Hopps farm and remove all its inhabitants by tomorrow morning. Now if you excuse me I have paying customers to attend, have a nice day and don't let the door hit you when you go out"- He then ignored her so he could make a phone call, but then he dropped the speaker when she pulled a gun from below her shirt and aimed it right at Hogward's head.  
Her paw never shakes nor bulges under the weight of the gun and even then, the pig doesn't believe a cute little bunny like her could pull the trigger. If Duke Weaselton were still alive he could attest of how big a mistake it was to underestimate another mammal.  
-"Seriously sweetheart, do you honestly think that burned up piece of land is worth spending your whole life in jail? I could only imagine what would happen to a pretty thing like you behind bars"- His patronizing tone is probably the straw that broke the camel's back, she removes the safety from the gun.  
-"I work for the mafia now, Mr. Hogward. I may die soon in this line of work but prison is not a possibility for me anymore"- Her voice could chill the entire Sahara District.

She pulls the trigger and a loud bang resonates in the whole room.

Chapter 3  
Judy's POV.  
....  
I knew the world would go to hell the moment FruFru died, oh it was on a downward spiral long before that believe me, but the moment Mr. Big's beloved daughter was crushed under a giant donut for a bag of onions was the final push. From then on, the most powerful yet most honorable and sensible mafia boss suddenly had no reason to play nice anymore. He blamed one of the other two mafias for her death and the growing tension between those three factions is now leading to a full blown war in the underworld. Neither the Rainforest mafia nor the Sahara one took credit for the murder but it was only a matter of time until Mr. Big got to the bottom of this, sadly by the time that happens there is going to be a lot of bloodshed form criminals and civilians alike.  
Forty eight hours ago I was at the epicenter of the Zootopia's criminal underground, the fancy restaurant named The Hidden Garden, where the wealthiest and most powerful citizens met and plotted next to the main players of the mob. As a waitress I was so unimportant nobody gave me a side glance, but I knew everything that was happening on this city whether it was above ground or far below.  
It's a shame, I kinda liked working there, the bosses were nice and efficient and tips were good. Even when that restaurant was the place where my hopes and dreams died a slow painful death.  
When I was a kit I dreamed of making the world a better place, I even wanted to be a cop, as ridiculous as it may sound. My family, my friends and neighbors kept telling me it was impossible but my stubborn little head refused to give up, I even went as far as to train in combat and read every police manual I came across because if I was going to be the first bunny cop I better be the best one. That stupid fantasy wasn't properly crushed until they flat out refused my application; mammals of my size and specially of my species weren't allowed to even enlist regardless of how much I train or how much I tried.  
But did that stopped my resolve? Nooo.  
As I said I was too stubborn and stupid to give up, I figured that if the laws didn't allow me to apply then I would change the law, so instead I went to law school so one day I could stand in court for another dreamer little mammal that wasn't allowed to follow his or her dreams. Lawyers don't have the best reputation when it comes to morals, but mammals forget that it's because of court cases that civil liberties were granted. For example, If it wasn't for Growl versus Fleesen predators would still use shock collars.  
So I gave up on being a cop but not in making the world a better place, my family supported me this time because they thought a courtroom was a lot safer than patrolling on the Zootopia's streets. I was a straight A student on my way to become the valedictorian of my class, because if I was going to be a lawyer I better be the best one.  
Then the fire broke out in Bunnyburrow and my future went down the drain, my college fund was used to build up the farm but that wasn't enough so my parents ended up trapped under a loan shark. I got a job at the restaurant with the hopes of earning enough money to help my family and go back to college, because my idiot dreams refused to go away. But the loan shark did what nobody in Bunnyburrow or Zootopia for that matter managed to do, he broke me down.

The payments got bigger and bigger, all members of my family worked their paws to the bone to pay him back, until one day I realized things would never get better, that all I could ever aspire to was to survive day by day in a menial job for the rest of my pathetic and deluded life. It's funny how dreams can wither away, at first they are still there, inches from your grasp, taunting you to just try a little harder as if it took just one little push so you can reach them. Then as you keep struggling those dreams inch further from you a little more every day, until they are so far from your reach you can't even glimpse them anymore. One faithful day you look at yourself in the mirror and realize those dreams were only that, dreams, no different from the childhood fantasies and toys you buried in a box someday and never glanced back.  
I understood that every bunny that told me I was way over my head, that I wasn't any better than them, that all my hard work would lead to nothing were right. I am, and would always be, a dumb bunny.  
But life wasn't over with me, no it had a final blow, yesterday morning I got a desperate call from my parents telling me that if they didn't pay Hogward seven thousand eight hundred and twenty dollars by the next day he would take away their farm. I remember running to the ladies bathroom and crying so hard my bosses had to drag me out because I was upsetting the customers. I did not have that money and I could never get it in such little time. All my family's sacrifice, all my shattered dreams, all of it was for naught.  
Manchas was an angel though, he made me a carrot martini and lent a sympathetic ear to my plight, it felt so good to talk to another mammal. I have been so lonely since I got to this city.  
I still remember the first time I came here, marbled by the beautiful tall buildings and believing that anyone could be anything in here, heading to the Zootopia University to become a lawyer and make the world a better place. But that is only a slogan for the naïve; this city will chew you out and spit your bones into a deserted dark alley if you don't tread carefully. And this isn't a fantasy movie when you sing a little song and suddenly all your dreams come true, and there is no prince charming ready to save you before you are pushed into the abyss.  
Manchas told me that the only way to win that much money in one day was to work on the Down Low, and even then dancing on a pole wouldn't be enough, I would have to go all the way.  
My soul wanted to run away and never come back, to go back home with my tail between my legs and sell carrots at the side of the road, to tell everyone in Bunnyburrow that they were right and I was wrong and that the worst day in a farm was heaven compared to the best one in the city. But my head was quick to remind me that there was no home to come back to anymore.  
-"I don't think I could do that, even if my life depended on it"- I told him contemplating the idea of just running away and starting anew somewhere else, far from this cursed city.   
-"It is not an easy choice Judy, and I rather tell you the ugly truth from the beginning that tricking you into something you are not ready to deal with"- Manchas' honesty was as considerate as it was brutal.  
He gave me another drink and I downed it in one gulp, what was the point in fighting back? What did I have to lose? I was one of the thousand does plaguing the city looking for a way to survive, all my delusions of grandeur had done nothing but putting me on a tall fake pedestal so when I fall the blow lands harder. I am just another dumb bunny; I shouldn't be above selling my body to save my family's livelihood. The one thought that gave me solace was the fact that maybe, one day, one of my brothers or sisters could follow their dreams and actually reach them for once. That would not happen if they end up on the street.  
I asked for another drink and told Manchas I would do it.  
I actually liked dancing, I took ballet and jazz lessons when I was a kit and even liked the stage. When I was nine I even put a little show about my dreams of becoming a cop living in Zootopia, but when my school teacher said I had potential to be under the spotlight I doubted this is what she had in mind. Whatever I did on the pole must had worked because the patrons were applauding like crazy and there were a lot of bills scattered on the floor, oh well if I am gonna be a stripper I better be the best one.  
The dance was only a small part of my job now, the pole was just advertising for the real business that developed in the dark rooms of the down low, I had barely left the stage when a large polar bear complimented my performance and took me to my first client.  
I will never forget that night, last night. I was almost naked waiting for my first client and only the watchful gaze of the bear stopped me from running away in tears and covering my shame with the first piece of clothing I could find, then nightmare of nightmares, a fox stepped inside.  
I feared foxes ever since I was a little kit, it's not just the fact that our species has a very violent history together, there's also the fact that a fox had bullied me through all my school years and made my life hell during class. I could still hear his insults in my nightmares from time to time.  
Before I knew it we were alone, I almost wished he would maul me so I wouldn't have to suffer a shame like this anymore, but I knew those times were over and this awfulness would not end so easily. I walked towards him like a lemming walks towards a cliff. This is it; this is rock bottom, I was ready to be defiled by a creature I have always feared.  
The funny thing about hitting rock bottom though, is that the only way to go from there is up. He wasn't the predator I expected him to be, he was respectful and kind. He actually cared about my problems and had no issue confiding in me with his own. It was so wonderful to meet someone that didn't look down on me, in his eyes I wasn't just a plain dumb bunny, I was an attractive female and he even looked at me like I was a goddess. If anything the way he saw me made me feel pretty and special, I felt a warm tingle through my fur and wondered if it could be love.  
No! I was a prostitute; love was not possible in that line of work, no male would ever love a female who is a stack of dollars away to give herself to anyone willing to pay. I killed the sliver of hope rising in my heart with an axe and asked the fox to take me so we could end this exchange as soon as possible. After all males that are not interested in hurting you and treat you nice are an exception more than a rule, so if I had one I thought I better make the most of it. Besides, I never told my bosses I was a virgin, and since everyone thought bunnies were slutty by default they never suspected that. If I had told them they might have sold me for millions to the highest bidder and for what I heard those girls never came back, some rumors claim that they were married to their captors while others say they were enslaved, I rather not risk it. Nick, the fox, was my first. I remember the times when I fantasized about my first time to be special, in my situation this was as special as I would ever get.

He terrified me at first, his paws were rough against my fur and when his jaws bit my neck I thought he would break it. He was gentle at first but before I knew it he was defiling me like a wild animal and thrust himself so deep I feared he might split me in half.  
There I was, laying in the filthy floor with a predator inside of me, growling into my neck and banging me like I was his prey. His pace got harder, deeper and faster. He expressed his full dominance over me and all I could do was moan in response like a bitch in heat. I was right at the bottom of the black abyss from hell now, and I loved every second of it. He made me feel things I never hoped to feel in my lonely pathetic life, a fire the burns from your loins and then spreads through your heart and your mind is then flooded by white blinding light. The claws that scraped on my skin no longer brought fear or pain, they brought shivers of lust. The sharp long fangs never pierced my skin, they just pressed at the right places to fill me with such euphoria I thought for a moment I might faint. The act between us had been raw, sweet, filthy and at the same time perfect. It was the best night in my life.  
My plan had backfired; having sex with him didn't kill any chance at our relationship. Instead we basked in the afterglow for who knows how long, talking about everything we went through and finding the type of solace only despair can provide. By the time he left my heart was beating exited at the thought of seeing him again.  
When he called me the next morning I giggled like a schoolgirl and I blushed so hard my whole face burned. He made me happy even when at the time I was looking forward a horrible night with Mayor Lionheart, what kind of sick mind asks sex from a creature five times smaller than him? I could barely handle Nick as it is and he is much smaller than a lion.  
When I found out he had basically enslaved himself so I could be free from the club and Hogward I barely managed not to cry from happiness. I remember the elation I felt when I got to hug him again, when my paws roamed through his course fur and his arms made me feel safe for the first time in ages.  
And in minutes all went wrong, I was staring at a picture of Hogward and Nick was behind me, ready to face four polar bears and Mr. Big only to spare me from the crime I was supposed to commit. I could see it in the way his deep green eyes frantically looked around the room checking for exits while his fur stood on end and his sharp claws extended ready for a fight, he could seem like a formidable predator to a small prey like me, but to the polar bears around us he would be just a snack.  
I had fantasized with the loan shark's death for so long but I never pictured myself as the one that would kill him, that was just not me. But It wasn't revenge for the way he made my family suffer the reason I chose to do it, nor was the fact that an order for his death was already issued and if I didn't do it another assassin would, It was the certainty that the dumb fox behind me was willing to get himself killed just to get me out of there. I had already quit all of my dreams and my ideals, was sparring a low life like Hogward a few more minutes to live worth Nick's death? No it definitely wasn't.  
I grabbed a gun and told him I was doing it for my family, which was quite true. Because no matter how wrong and despicable my life turned out, I figured my battered soul was a cheap price to pay for my family's happiness. And above all, my fox's life. An overprotective fervor invaded me; life had taken too much from me already, but no more. I took my dreams, my family's piece of mind and my home; it will not take the one I love.  
Now Hogward's blood and brain matter decorate the white walls in his office like a piece of abstract art, the gun smokes in my hand and I can feel the heat coming from it muzzle.

Behind me Nick stands, ready to support me in case I break down, but all I feel is the loss of hope.  
I stumble like a zombie into his arms; my skin feels cold and demands the heat coming from his red fur. He leads me into the limo and I collapse in the fake leather seat, his large paws caress my face as the emptiness swallows me.  
I wake up with the feel of his arms wrapped around me and his lips placing butterfly kisses on my forehead, little by little I blink away the fog in my eyes as I come back to the world of the living.  
The three of us Nick, Michael and I enter the large manor in Tundratown, I guess this is our home from now on. Right before we get into his office I recognize Manchas sitting in a chair, he looks terrible his clothes are shredded and tattered; several claw marks stained in red cover his large body.  
-"Manchas what happened to you?"- I ask rushing to his side  
-"H-hello miss Judy, I don't really know. It happened this morning, one moment I was driving Mr. Otterton home and the next... he attacked me"- He is clutching an ice bag over his right eye.  
-"Otterton? He did this to you?"- Nick is as shocked as I was, we both know Emmit, and he is the sweetest otter we had ever met. Sure he works for the mafia but only as an MC he never got into the underworld business; he is in fact the most typical family mammal in all Zootopia. He actually was very kind to all the strippers and wouldn't spend more than five minutes without talking about his wife and showing pictures of his kids.  
The poor terrified panther shakes in fear –"It wasn't him, I mean he was not himself! His eyes were empty and he growled like a savage! He was on all fours, scratching me with his claws, he almost ripped out my eye!"- He removes the ice bag from his face and we see large deep marks right over his eye, the area is swollen but I can still see that his eyeball is intact, I'm glad he won't have an impaired eyesight after this.  
-"What happened next? I mean, where is he?"- I ask fearing the answer.  
-"I don't know, after he attacked me he escaped into the Rainforest and I haven't seen him since. I should have come to Mr. Big sooner but I crashed my car in the fight and by the time I came to my senses the police had come, they took me to the hospital and didn't let me go until I gave them the whole statement."- He rolls his only good eye –"They didn't believe me"-  
I hear growling behind me, it comes from Nick, he's clearly angry at the way the police quickly dismisses the claims of large poor predators, especially if they are even remotely associated with Mr. Big. Nick had told me that he lost count of how many times the cops had brushed him off when he was growing up and awful things were happening in his neighborhood, the only way for them to pay any attention was after you bribed them. I am almost glad my dream of becoming a cop got crushed, I might be a criminal but at least I am honest about it, I don't run around pretending to uphold the law while breaking it when no one's looking.  
The door to Mr. Big's office opens and Raymond calls all of us inside.  
The first thing I see is a large ram in a yellow jumpsuit suspended by his collar by Koslov, one of the largest polar bears at the arctic shrew's rule. Below the ram lies an open trap door that leads to the icy water. The three of us bow our heads in respect; we all know this is going to get ugly.

-"First of all, we welcome our new members, Judy I am glad you are now part of the family"- Mr. Big spreads his arms and reaches out to me, careful to dodge the ram wriggling in Koslov's huge paw I mimic the act of placing one kiss on his right and left cheek. -"Now we have a matter to discuss, everyone say hello to Mr. Doug"- he said pointing at the ram, then he signaled Yuri to start talking.  
-"I asked around for this Doug, I found a ram called Jesse who told me where he usually works, I asked him very nicely"- Yuri says with a half smile "asking nicely" is mafia slang for brutal torture -"When I went there I found him in an abandoned train with a secret lab inside filled with blue flowers"- He shows us his tablet and I gasp in shock, I have seen those flowers before.  
-"Midnicampum Holicithias, they are a type C plant, very toxic. My family used to plant them around our fields to scare the plagues away"- I recite the school books I read and memorized as a kit, as someone living in the country learning about plants was a huge subject matter. I take the tablet from Yuri's paw and swipe looking at the photos; I recognize the bulbs that lie in a corner huddled inside a gym bag. –"Those are NOT onions"- I say showing the picture to Nick –"Those are bulbs for growing the flowers"-  
-"I am glad that you know about this plants Judy, because our friend Doug has refused to speak since we got him here, and flowers are not the only thing found in there"- Mr Big says feigning sadness and nodding his head at Yuri who continues talking –"In that abandoned train there were a lot of pictures stuck in a blackboard, this was one of them"- He shows us a picture of Otterton.  
-"You caused the attack!"- Nick says enraged, I place my paw over his calming him down. -"There were thirteen more pictures in that blackboard"- Yuri says gravely.  
-"What did you do to Emmit? Where did you take him?"- I say angrily at the ram, he merely spits at my face but I dodge it at the last second, bunnies like me have quick reflexes. -"Mr. Doug, allow me to remind you it is bad manners not to respond to a lady's question"- Mr. Big says calmly, looking at his paws in a disinterested way.  
-"You will get no answers from me"- He spat.  
-"My poor ram, we have not started to ask questions yet"- The shrew says calmly at first but then he growls at Koslov –"Ice him!"-  
Koslov doesn't throw the ram into the ice; he merely lowers him softly until only his hooves are in contact with the freezing water, after a few seconds the ram begins to scream. Water that cold can easily cause enough hypothermia to kill the live tissue of his legs, too much time in there and his hooves would have to be amputated or they could fall off on their own. The spectacle makes me gag, my ears droop behind my back and I instinctively reach into Nick to find comfort. He hugs me tight as I bury myself deeper into his chest, his paws caress my ears as I shake in fear as the screams get louder and more desperate, but my fox's thick fur and warm body bring me comfort and take some of my anguish away. The scent of his skin intoxicates me as I recall our passionate throws from last night; I bow myself to feel him inside me again as soon as our new lifestyle allows it. His paw rests below my chin and lifts my face up so my eyes can meet his; the concern he shows for me melts what's left of my heart. –"I'm sure the guys won't mind I you sit this one up. In this case there is no shame in quitting."-  
-"Yes, yes there is"- I tell him squaring my shoulders, I have sold my soul to the criminal underworld already, there is no point in going soft right now. Poor Mr. Otterton is missing, he  
might be dead, and if we want to find out what happened to him that god damned ram has to speak.  
-"I don't know where they are!"- Doug screams crying like a lamb. Koslov raises him up and places his now blue-black hooves next to the fireplace, were flames lick dry wood below the painting of good old grandma. Sobbing he continues –"I was ordered to shoot those mammals with the concentrated serum, but right after I did it they disappeared! I really don't know why it happened because those mammals disappearing was not part of the plan!- -"Who is your boss?"- Mr. Big's tone is as cold as the freezing water underneath.  
The ram shakes his head; Koslov grabs him again and dips half his body into the water. -"He contacts me t-through text mes-ssages f-rom different cell-ph-phones every time! He s-sends me the pictures by mail and p-p-pays me sending m-money directly into my account I ne- never saw the guy or talked t-to him."- His teeth clatter from the vicious cold, after he's done speaking he cries harder, he spilled all the valuable information he had and he knows we have no use for him anymore.  
Koslov looks at his boss expecting orders, with a dismissive paw the shrew tells him –"Make it quick"-  
With the paw that isn't holding the interrogation victim, Koslov retrieves his gun from his holster on his hips and shoots the ram in the head. There is no need for a cleanup since all the blood will be washed away by the cold water, the corpse sinks below the ice, another mammal popsicle under the Tundratown surface. The trapdoor closes and an ordinary rug is placed above it, all is hidden away so easily, it's like nothing happened in here.  
-"Very well my comrades, we have someone paying to shoot poison at what seems to be random mammals and those mammals are in turn missing but according to our friend here"- The boss, my boss, says pointing at the closed trapdoor –"Their disappearance has nothing to do with this secret plotter we just found out existed"- He scratches his chin pensively then sighs exhausted.-"Yuri, Kevin and Raymond. You will find out who was behind Doug's hits, and bring me his head. Nick and Judy, you will search for Otterton and bring his captor to me, dead or alive it is your choice. Michael you will take care of Manchas, if somebody from the other mobs want to hurt our employees we cannot allow them to succeed again, take care of our poor fellow here and keep him safe. Remember my children; our family always looks out for each other."- His somber mood suddenly enlightens and he smiles brightly –"But first things first! We have new members in our family! Everyone welcome Nick and Judy our newest and most promising assassins!"-  
Out of the sudden Nick and I were lifted in the air, riding over the shoulders of the large polar bears. It's funny how the mafia works, one moment you are outside the circle and are easily disposed below a trap door and the next moment you are surrounded by brothers who would die, and gladly kill, for you if the situation would call for it.  
When I was a kit I yearned for the camaraderie mammals in the force share, I dreamed of battling crime with my brothers and sisters in blue, only to realize as an adult that the force did not want me because of something so shallow as my size and species. Yet the mafia had no problem seeing below those things, believing a bunny and a fox could be as effective at their job as a polar bear. Somehow the happy celebration around us brings a smile to my lips. As terrible as it may seem this might be the force I belong in, an organization much more powerful than the police that controls the chaos of crime instead of burying it in the underworld and making profit of it like the authorities do. After all, I killed an evil loan shark today, Nick killed Fru Fru's killer and Koslov murdered a hit mammal. If that isn't making the world a better place I don't know what it is.  
I laugh as the group of bears sing songs in Russian and we sit over their shoulders like celebrated heroes on a parade, my laughter is contagious and Nick smiles beside me. After a very long time I feel hopeful and excited towards the future, I reach out to my fox and he squeezes my hand, together we'll be unstoppable.  
I lean towards Nick and give him a hard passionate kiss, feeling as if the world that beat me down for so long finally lay below my feet.  
If I am going to be an assassin I better be the best one.

Chapter 4  
Nick's POV  
....  
This party is wild! Food laughter and booze runs freely on our table, we party like there was no tomorrow, and for some of us that might end up being true. The polar bears drink vodka like sponges and howl like maniacs banging their paws on the large table of the manor main hall, they sit beside tigers and elks and other large mammals. Loud music sounds from large speakers hidden behind the luxuriously decorated walls, the large room smells of delicious food and alcohol. In a smaller table overlooking everything Mr. Big sips champagne from a tiny glass; he sits with other shrews while a snobby waiter attends their every need. I am glad there is a medium table for creatures our size placed between or boss' and the bears; we are with other mammals from weasels to snow leopards and some wolves, in front of us there is a huge banquet made to suit carnivores and vegetarians alike. The mafia never had qualms about hiring every different type of mammal in this city but it always preferred the polar bears, most of these guys are new on the family. It was obvious the boss had gone on a hiring spree.  
It almost seems like a louder version of an after office party. I gotta say I am actually having fun, who knew the mobsters could be so friendly when you are not one of their targets. I admit the camaraderie in this room is contagious and it is nice to feel part of something.  
The anecdotes shared on the tables though are definitely something you would NOT hear on an office, it kinda freaks me out the coolness this guys talk about the several murders they committed along with the gory details, shit Raymond just showed me a selfie of him and Kevin smiling to the camera with a wolf they were strangling.  
Judy sits by my side, she hears the stories with a mixture of trepidation and acceptance, like me she doesn't like the career path that was imposed on us, but she is more willing to embrace it.  
I realize that the bunny I sacrificed myself to the mafia for is not as I pictured her to be, on one paw she will never be the violent femme fatale that the mafia thinks she is going to become, on the other paw she is definitely not just the naïve country bumpkin bunny I thought she was when I first met her. It doesn't surprise me that she is probably a complex mammal capable of both kindness and brutality, that concept intrigues me as I want to know the real Judy hiding in the middle of those two.  
I am done with this party for now; I couldn't care less for the most effective way to gut someone without making too much noise and the other myriad life hacks my new comrades keep giving me. So I put my arm around her and draw her close to me, with a sly smile I tell the whole table.  
-"Guys this is really fun but me and my new "partner in crime""- I add winking –"Have some catching up to do"-  
Her purple eyes ignite and the sweet smell of her arousal brings a genuine smile to my muzzle, the criminals around me cheer and throw several racy jokes at our expense. In regular Zootopia a predator-prey couple of such different species is seen as an immoral and wrong, but this is underground Zootopia, immoral and wrong is our daily life.  
-"We don't give a fuck about who you like to fuck, but if you are in the Tundratown crew you better be good at it"- A drunken reindeer tells us loudly swinging a half full tumbler of vodka at our direction, we easily dodge it and the clear liquid spills into the marble floor. At the sound of the broken glass all the mobsters, Mr. Big included, yell cheerfully –"Mazel Tov!"- Apparently throwing vodka at a couple is a way to give their blessings in Tundratown.  
...  
Yuri leads us to our room, once you join the mafia you have to live in the great manor. "Family stays together" the boss always says. I don't mind that at all, anything this place has to offer is ten times better than the bridge I usually sleep under or the factory where Weaselton's corpse is rotting in. Judy told me her apartment is so small it should be considered a closet, Hogward's money demands had let her with barely enough money to survive when she was a waitress.  
We are taken to the west wing, where the medium mobsters reside, the polar bear opens the large mahogany doors and we gasp at the opulence of our bedroom. White walls with intricate red flower patterns surround a plush burgundy carpet, an imposing mahogany carved bed lies in the center with thick fluffy duvets and white sheets.  
There is probably a large en suite bathroom somewhere but for the moment I could care less about anything but that bed, Judy runs at it and jumps like a kit into the tall soft matters and giggles –"I love it!"- She says with a bright smile.  
I want to jump right in next to her but Yuri's paw rests like a dead weight into my shoulder -"Mr. Big wants you to know he is very happy for both of you, he also wants me to give you this message"- He gave me a large white envelope and fear grips my gut, the last thing I need right now is another picture, Judy walks right next to me and we both look mesmerized as I retrieve the card inside the envelope. It is of a thick white paper and has a message written in the boss' handwriting.

My children, along with my blessings for the happy couple I grant you the best room in our home, It once belonged to the first Boss in our business enterprise and his darling wife and it was designed with love in mind. This manor, this family, needs love and a new life. I am sure you can help us provide it.  
Sincerely, Mr. Big.

I raise my eyebrows at the message in the card, then shrug thinking he is just being polite. Deep down I know his every word has a meaning and an intention, after years of working for him I should know I need to decode what he wants from us. Because all of this, the luscious romantic room, the rose petals I forgot to notice scattered in the bed and this note are a grand gesture in the expectancy of something else. The boss has a meticulously crafted plan for us and he won't stop until he fulfills it. But right now my brain can only process the fact that Judy is near our bed and fully clothed when she should be naked and sprawled all over it and wriggling below my paws.

Yuri is still behind us and as soon as we finish reading he hands Judy a velvet box barely bigger than my paw, he gives us a small smile and bows solemnly before going his way. We stay frozen in place, with bated breath until we can no longer hear his footsteps, only then we manage to relax.  
I see her trying to open the box but I stop her, then grab the item and place it in a small telephone table right next to the door. Whatever is in that box can wait, it is surely some mindfuck message from our boss that we will have to decode later on, he seems happy at our performance as assassins and it doesn't smell like death so it's probably not a threat. But for now I couldn't care less for what he wants, now it is time to reap my reward.  
I put my paw on her cheek and give her a passionate kiss, she wastes no time grabbing my by the collar of my shirt and pulls me down with her, I wonder if the rug is as soft as it looks because we might not make it to the bed. I rip off her pink shirt, the tiny white buttons that held it in place bounce around the room like tiny projectiles.  
-"Nick you can't keep tearing my clothes off!"- She says annoyed as I kiss her neck.  
-"From now on carrots we are only wearing black suits, so you won't need that anymore"- My voice is muffled because my mouth had trailed down her abdomen and my muzzle is happily acquainting itself with her cute belly –"And you won't need these either"- I say removing her jeans and her plain white panties. She steps out of them and I throw them away as far as I can, as if I was afraid she wanted to put them back on. I look up and see her lovely body, a perfect mixture of tight strong muscles and soft curves.  
My observations are cut short when she throws my kneeling form on the floor and rips my shirt off and then my undershirt. I fiddle with my tie, afraid that in her enthusiasm she might yank it away and choke me, but her smoldering eyes and her carnivorous smile freeze me in place as she purrs –"Leave the tie on"-I blink and by the time I open my eyes again my pants had been thrown away so hard they are now hanging on the chandelier, dammit girl, are you sure you are a bunny? Because I could swear one of your ancestors mated with a tiger at some point.  
Her big rabbit teeth bite my tongue as she lounges at me for another hot kiss, it doesn't hurt but it spikes the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Her strong hind legs rest at each side of my hips and she lowers herself into my bulging erection, the adrenaline in my blood quickly withdraws as I see the look of hurt on her face.  
Sorry sweetheart but in your rush you forgot I am twice your size and you can't just jump right into it, fast and hard with no foreplay may never be a possibility for us. I gently lift her up and place her on the soft luscious bed; there is nothing wrong with a little tenderness and after all that's happened I realize I have no problem in taking some sweet time with our lovemaking.  
The pace changes, she is too enthusiastic sometimes so I take it as my duty to slow her down so she doesn't hurt herself. I touch every strand of fur on her body, and sigh as her hot wet mouth latches all over mine, she likes to grab the tie and use it like a leash to drag me close to her and into more kisses. Time goes by and I get lost in her soft fur, I make her beg forit,Imakeherbegforme. Evenwhenhercottonpawsstrokemymanhoodinfrenzyand her kisses grow desperate, I make her plead for release. Finally I decide it is time, I thrust into her inch by inch and I don't stop until I am in all the way. It is different from before, I am not consumed by the ferocious despair that smothered me anymore, this time is fluid and soft and I can afford to enjoy the moment instead of getting carried away by it.

This time I can focus more in the intoxicating scent of her skin, on the way her bedroom eyes shine under the full moon, on the feel of her silky depths against my unsheathed rod. I knot and grow inside of her; the expansion triggers an orgasm deep within her body. The beautiful face falls back, her lips parted in a melodious moan, her exposed neck is too tempting for the predator inside of me and my large hungry snout brutally locks itself at its sides. It is an act of canide dominance, I have her pinned underneath me not just by my member but also by my paws and jaw, I growl loudly into her neck as the ecstasy floods me. The moment passes and I am spent, she lays limp by my side with a satisfied smirk on her cute muzzle and we hug each other as tight as we can.  
We are still locked together when we fall asleep.  
.....  
I wake up with the sunlight shining in my eyes, the bed it's too soft I am not getting up, ever. -"Wake up Nick, we have a lot of work to do"- The voice is sweet and stern on equal measure.  
Against my wishes my eyelids flutter open, I see my bunny's face inches from mine, my arms instinctively reach out to her. This bed cannot be wasted; we still have some more catching up to do.  
-"Oh no sir, we can't keep getting sidetracked anymore!"- She giggles swatting my paws away. –"You are taking a shower and having breakfast, then we are going to find Mr. Otterton"- My eyes regain their focus and I notice she is wearing her black suit; it fits her like a glove. Tight black pants and a perfectly tailored black jacket, a red blouse shows her curves and a little of her lower abdomen. She nails the mobster look, professional and intimidating but also feminine and sexy.  
Am I smiling like an idiot at the sight of her? Yes, yes I do.  
She crosses her arms and scolds me, her little pout is the cutest thing I ever saw –"Get out of the bed and be ready in less than half an hour or tonight you are sleeping on the couch!"- Yep that works, I run to the shower in a flash.  
I made it in twenty minutes, now I look at my reflection in the mirror while adjusting my new black tie.  
Somehow the fancy tailored black suit reminds me of when I was a little kit and put on my brand new uniform to get into the Junior Scouts, I remember the excitement I felt at the promise to join a troop and be part of something great. Back in the day I was a naïve stupid little cub and I wanted to help as many mammals as I could, I wanted to be a hero. That of course ended up in nothing but humiliation and the promise to never allow anything like that to ever happen again, I would never let them get to me.  
But this time I am not the one covering into a wall with a muzzle on my snout, this time I am the one in charge, power is on my side. This time when I get out into the world with my beautiful girl mammals will show respect, killing for profit was never my dream job but the perps that come with this career are something I could totally get used to.  
...  
Koslov drives the limo towards the rainforest intersection where Otterton was last seen, we know the police are not making any progress on his disappearance so we are going to the crime scene hoping to find something those idiots might have missed. Judy rests beside me with her head on my shoulder and her long ears fall over my head, I can't help notice the large necklace she is wearing below her blouse. My paw gently reaches to it and I contemplate the antique item with skepticism, I have never seen her wear jewelry of any type and this thing is too big for her small frame anyway. It is a heavy heart shaped silver and copper piece hanging from a large sturdy silver chain.  
-"It's the heart of Bamalia"- She answers simply, her eyes turn somber –"A gift from Mr. Big"- So that's what was inside of that velvet box.  
-"A symbol of love that has been passed into the family for generations"- Koslov chips in with a proud expression.  
-"The boss sent for the best jewel makers to do a small replica for Fru Fru so she could wear it at her wedding"- She said sadly. Koslov solemnly gave a prayer to the heavens at the mention of the dead shrew. The atmosphere in the limo turns cold and daunting at the reminder that the heiress died right before her wedding night. The boss would never be the same after something like that; he could never recover from such a blow and by extension neither the mafia, even after we take revenge on the culprits of all this mess.  
A piece of the puzzle lands in my head, a puzzle placed into our paws in the form of that note we got last night. "This manor, this family, needs love and a new life. I am sure you can help us provide it."That's what the boss said. The new life part makes sense, given all the new assassins that had been hired, most of them are pretty young they certainly brought new blood (figurative and literal) to an organization that was growing old and stale. But why would he care so much about our relationship?  
-"It is a very moving and important gesture"- I tell Koslov respectfully –"But I have to ask... why us? We are new into the family and we are just starting up in here"-  
-"Weddings and love bring strength and happiness to the family, lift up the morale. The wedding of our little Fru Fru was taken away from us and the love went away, the family is losing hope"- The polar bear grabs the steering wheel so tight it's a miracle he never broke it, there is a poisonous fury in his eyes, I do NOT want to be the unlucky mammal that stands in his way when the ones behind all of this face the consequences of their actions. –"We need to get it back, we need the strength and the hope, and we need to remind ourselves that life moves on"-  
It dawns on me then, the boss' plan, the wedding Fru Fru couldn't have is gonna be imposed on us whether we want it or not. It clearly holds a strong meaning in this mob culture that a wedding was lost and now they want to take it back, as if you could just replace the bride and groom like they were toys over the white cake. As if a wedding ritual could bring the dead to life.  
Neither Judy nor I are happy about this, what I feel for her I never felt for any other, but I am not foolish enough to ignore the fact that we are bonded over our crushing loneliness and a shit ton of lust. We cling to each other because we have no one else in this city that gives a flying fuck about us, she has family on the country but she told me she doesn't belong with them anymore, especially after what the boss had forced her to do. From a non rose-colored-glasses point of view, our relationship is a recipe for disaster, the kind of fire that explodes hard bright and fast and disappears before you know it, leaving nothing but scorched remains in its wake.  
As for her, I have no way to get inside her head; all I know is that for a former prostitute she is very inexperienced in sexual relationships and love. I believe she doesn't truly understand what love actually is; in all fairness I am not sure I figured it out completely. Al I know is that I have no plans of leaving her side and that it might be foolish to think of the long term in our relationship when we both might end up dead in the near future. I guess I will have to go with the flow on this one, who knows, maybe the boss will regain some sanity before he carries on with this twisted plan of his.  
....  
The crime scene from Otterton's disappearance is a mess, by the time we got here those fucking coppers either took or trampled over any useful evidence. I cannot smell anything remarkable when a dozen different mammals had paraded in here, the chaos of scratch marks sprawled all over the surrounding trees tell a violent story and my ears flatten against my head at the thought that Otterton is probably a goner. All I can notice is large skid marks still visible in the damp soil, given the shape and width I think they might belong to a van, white and silver paint taints the bark of one of the trees. No I am not a super detective that memorized every skid mark in existence, it's just that they look a lot like the ones my buddy Finn leaves on the asphalt when he races against flash, the fastest sloth in all Zootopia. Besides vans are the most common vehicle for crime sprees, given that they are spacious and most models don't have windows.  
-"Nick!"- I hear Judy calling me from above, she climbed over one of the tall poles that supported the traffic cameras. Of course! They could have recorded Otterton's kidnapping, she is one sly bunny. –"These cameras were tampered with, the cables were cut. And judging by the edges of the cuts this was intentional, we cannot blame this on an accident or bad weather"- She then slides down that pole in way that reminds me of the first time I met her. So there goes our chance of solving this fast and easy.  
-"All I got is that whoever took Emmit was driving a white and maybe silver van, they probably drove into the forest so they could put him inside without calling attention from anyone driving on the highway"- I say looking at the direction the skid marks pointed to, they seemed to be leaving the Rainforest district and entering Tundratown  
-"Not before making sure they wouldn't be caught"- She said looking at the torn cameras.  
I look around searching for any other sign that might lead us to the kidnappers but find nothing other than claw marks and a sick feeling in my stomach -"It's official, I have run out of ideas. If only we had more clues to go from here"-  
I turn to Judy and I can almost see the wheels on her head turning as she gives me a sly smile.  
-"Then we should go get them. I mean, the cops are way ahead of us; they have most of the evidence and resources to investigate. They have the clues and we have the underground know how, it would help us get to the bottom of this"-  
-"Wow wait, are you seriously saying we should ask for help to the Cops!?"- That poor girl has lost her mind.  
-"Why not? We both are after the same goal, finding Otterton."- Her smile is sweet but I can see the beginning of a devious plan forming in that cutesy little head.  
-"Yeah but their goal, assuming they're not crooked and working with the captors themselves, is to put the captors in jail. Our goal is to get them to Mr. Big so they can end up as popsicles under our floor at the manor. Besides what makes you think they will cooperate with us?"- I say crossing my arms and tilting my head. I kinda want to know where her reasoning is going.  
-"You always say the Mafia is much more powerful than the police"- She walks towards me with a dangerous malice in her eyes, I don't know if I should feel scared or aroused, oh who am I kidding? I am both. –"If they don't cooperate we will make them"- Her smug smile it's as dangerous as a loaded gun and she tilts her head towards Koslov, the large polar bear sits patiently in the limo playing with his butterfly knife.  
-"This is serious stuff carrots, one thing is to dodge the law and another is to grab a big stick and poke it until it get pissed off. I mean if we screw up we will end up killed by the cops, or by our boss after we bring him trouble with the authorities"- I hope to bring some sense in her but by the look in those violet eyes my words have no effect in changing her mind. -"Then why don't we ask him for his permission? If he says yes then he will help us get through with it. It's not like the cops are useful for much other than to give Zootopia an illusion of safety, WE run this town Nick, it's about time they understand that"- I see a sliver of anger in her eyes, we both hate the police but for different reasons. She resents the force that turned her down because of some foolish prejudice and became a travesty of what it was supposed to be, I resent the force that should have done its fucking job and save my mother from being killed on the street while coming home from work.  
Yeah she is right, the police are nothing but a front for greedy thieves to keep stealing under the government sponsorship, it's about time those donut chompers get what they deserve. We call the boss when we get into the limo and he is thrilled by the idea –"Talk to the chief of the first precinct, Bogo I think he is called. Every crime bigger than a petty theft goes through him, especially the crimes committed on the highways since they are the jurisdiction of the main precinct. If he cooperates I will remember to return his generosity, but if he refuses, Koslov will pay him and his family a friendly visit"- He says through the speakers of my phone so everyone in the limo can hear, Koslov nods gleefully at the idea of paying a visit to the chief, I gulp at the thought of what that polar bear might be willing to do to them.  
-"Boss I agree on your plan but I don't think we should put his family on the line of fire, if the chief turns us down it's one thing but his family has nothing to do with all this"- Judy says worried, she might be a bit too efficient at her job sometimes but there are lines neither of us are willing to cross.  
Mr Big sighs feigning sympathy –"Sometimes things have to get done Judy, even when they are not fair."-  
-"Killing family members that never had anything to do with the patriarchs business is never fair"- I say evenly hoping that bringing up his daughter's demise doesn't get me killed.  
-"You are right Nick, it is better not to put civilians on the line."- He says sadly, it seems I managed to hit a nerve without causing his rage –"Fine, if the chief doesn't cooperate Koslov will get only him. Good luck and call me as soon as you finish talking to that buffalo."-  
...  
We stroll into the first precinct like we own the place, neither of us want to be responsible for Koslov to have his fun with the Chief, so it is very important that we get him to cooperate. In the front desk sits an obese cheetah eating donuts and singing an awful pop song while looking at something in his phone.  
-"Excuse me"- Judy says inching closer to the desk, she is so small her perked up ears barely reach the edge of it, the fat cheetah looks around for the source of the sound but cannot see her. I inch closer; being taller than her he has no problem noticing me, I nod at the bunny beside me so she can keep talking now that she has the receptionist's attention. –"We are looking for Chief Bogo. It is very important, our friend has gone missing and we need to discuss his disappearance with him."-  
-"Oh I am sorry miss, but the chief is very busy right now. Why don't I put you in contact with an officer so you can file your claim and give your statement?"- The cheetah seems pretty kind and cheerful; it would be a shame to drag him under Koslov's paws as well. I can almost picture that polar bear salivating at the thought of spilling some copper blood as he sits sharpening his knives in the limo parked outside.  
With a smug smile she tilts her head and subtly raises the edge of her jacket, revealing the unlicensed gun resting at the holster on her belt, I do the same as I lower my sunglasses and give him a "don't fuck with us" look. Finally the cheetah understands who we work for, noticing our black suits.  
We see the fatso go from sickly sweet cheerfulness to a determined cold stare, if he weren't using that stupid blue uniform I would have liked the guy, he was nice to everyone but able to toughen up when the situation called for it. –"Whatever you plan to do, let me remind you that this precinct is full with Zootopia's best cops ever trained, if you try something that might risk the life of the officers and civilians in here we will make you regret that decision."-  
-"We just want to have a little chat with the chief about our missing friend, that's all"- My tone is soft and friendly but so fake, the cheetah understands the hidden threat behind it.  
He calls Bogo through the intercom, -"Chief, two "citizens" want to speak to you about a missing mammal's case"- His cold worried tone and the way he gritted the word "citizens" should have been more than able to get the message across, but a deep baritone voice screamed from the other side of the intercom –"Not now Clawhouser! Can't you see I am busy?"-  
Judy sighs beside me, the chief doesn't sound like the cooperative type, and it seems Koslov is going to have his fun after all.  
-"Sir! These citizens are important! If you don't meet with them as soon as possible we might have some trouble in the future."- Cops have a very strict chain of command, for a receptionist to snap at his chief like that it had to be very serious. Finally the voice at the other side of the intercom sounds calmed –"Send them in"-  
-"Take the stairs at the left, up to the fourth floor, he's expecting you"- He says in an angry yet professional tone. If the boss chooses to go after the police, as he seems to be itching to do, I'll throw a good word for the lardball at the desk. Who knows maybe we can convince him to work for us.  
-"By the way, I love that song! I'm a big fan of Gazelle too"- Judy says cheerfully at the dumbstruck cat as she walks away and into the stairs leading to Bogo's office.  
-"You like Gazelle?"- I say teasingly, and then chuckle at the thought of that tiny bunny singing those corny pop songs in a pink Gazelle t shirt.  
-"She's the most popular singer in Zootopia Nick; you can't deny her songs are catchy."- She smiles sweetly and shrugs –"I don't know why but listening to her always puts me in a good mood"-  
-"Sometimes you are just too cute for your own good"- I say shaking my head.  
-"Please Nick, I explained you why bunnies don't like being called that way"- She says between friendly and annoyed.  
I resist the urge to just hug her tight, I have the theory that bunnies were created by mad scientists in an attempt to make the cuddliest most adorable creature ever imagined, and what was that with not being able to call them cute? It's like trying to describe a sugar cube without the word sweet. I hold back that urge, it would not be professional to squeeze her like a plush toy when in front of us the large buffalo is standing at the door of his office, inviting us in.

The buffalo is an imposing figure, taller and bigger than five of us combined and with a glare that could cause fear into the bravest mammals. A few days ago I would have cowered at the mere sight of him, but yesterday I chopped the head of a guy I had just killed, nothing scares me anymore. We look tinier than usual sitting in his office's oversized chairs, but we are the ones in power and he knows it. He doesn't waste our time trying to intimidate us or using his towering presence to strike fear in our hearts, he knows that wouldn't work.  
-"I believe you had something to discuss with me"- He speaks in a smooth polite voice, he doesn't sound aggressive but he isn't acting meek either.  
-"Yes we are concerned about a friend of us that went missing yesterday morning, his name is Emmit Otterton"- I imitate the politeness in his voice, this is obviously a ruse to feign civility when in fact we are both probably planning on how to finish each other off. I hate guys like him, big loud and with a holier-than-thou attitude imposing their so called authorities over powerless mammals smaller than him.  
-"Oh yes the otter, our officers are working very hard to find the culprit and the missing mammal"- He lifts his eyebrow looking at both of us, clearly implying we are the prime suspects.  
I roll my eyes at the accusation, how stupid can these coppers be? If we were responsible for his disappearance there would be no evidence left behind, not even a rumor that he was killed, making a big mess in a public highway is definitely not our modus operandi.  
My face is schooled in its casual lay back usual mode but I am growing angrier by the minute, Judy's voice calms some of my temper.  
-"The thing is, that our boss is willing to cooperate with the police in order to find him. I believe our knowledge of certain issues in the city could be useful to find our friend don't you think?"- She sounds nice and gentle, but that tiny bunny has no problem in implying to the large buffalo that he is walking on thin ice, she manages that with a subtle hint of venom in her stare.  
-"What I do think is that I have fourteen mammals missing and the last thing I need is to have the Tundratown mafia meddling with my investigation"- He inches closer to her, his eyes as if throwing daggers at her head.  
You know what buffalo-but? I have lost my patience with you I'm telling Koslov to get his knives ready.  
-"Suit yourself Chief, but when the body count gets higher don't forget you could have done something to stop this."- I say coldly wondering if our polar bear friend might need some assistance with his upcoming task.  
-"Is that a threat?"- He sounds menacing now.  
-"No, it's a prediction, the longer we take to find Otterton the more impatient and unpredictable our boss becomes and you know what happens when he gets in that mood."- I inch closer to his face now; a small fox is now towering at the large buffalo, reminding the copper who is the one in power here. –"As for you, THIS is a threat. If you don't cooperate your head will be another decoration in the Boss's desk, and there would be nothing any of your officers could do about it, and you know that"-  
-"But if you do cooperate, the boss is more than willing to repay your kindness"- Judy's calm voice breaks some of the thick atmosphere. At the buffalo's shocked expression she responds with a smug smile –"Do not play innocent Chief, we all have a price. Tell us yours and we'll be on our way before you know it, we might even manage to do some good, after all we do have some information that might help on your case."-

I can almost see a light bulb igniting over his head, he can barely conceal the triumphant smile on his lips, why do I get the feel that he has hustled us?  
-"It is true we all have a price, MY price is that you bring me all fourteen mammals safe and sound along with the responsible for their disappearance. I will provide you with all the evidence I have and if you pay my price, I will consider working with your organization again in case of extreme necessity"- He is granting us his best eat shit grin, he turned the tables on us and he knows it.  
-"That is all you want? Not money or power? Just the missing mammals?"- Judy says shocked, I understand how she feels.  
In front of us sits a creature so rare even a unicorn would find puzzling, a being so mythological and obscure only legends have managed to mention in its margins. In front of us we have an honest cop.  
Mind. Blown. 

Chapter 5  
Judy's POV  
The Chief stares at us with the confidence only a mammal with nothing to hide can have, by being honest and not looking for a personal gain we have no leverage against him and he knows that. Oh I'm sure Koslov could kill him without any difficulty, he might be an imposing creature for us but for a polar bear with years of experience in bloodshed he would just be another victim within minutes. Yet Bogo has resources we need and is willing to give them to us in the reasonable exchange of information, so he is certain he's worth much more to us alive than dead, for now.  
-"Clawhouser, please call officers Snarlov and Wolford to my office"- I can tell by the contained tinge in his voice that it is uncommon for the buffalo to speak in such a respectful way to the receptionist, I guess he isn't foolish enough to be his usual loud and aggressive self in front of us, more accurately in front of Nick.  
My fox is usually calm and collected, he is the one who plans ahead before acting while I tend to barge into whatever situation and wing it later. But sometimes, his feral instincts snap and he can become a little unpredictable.   
Something in the Chief is triggering this reaction in him; I will have to talk to him about this later but I guess it might have something to do with his ingrained disrespect towards authority, if that is the case I don't know how he managed to work so well for Mr. Big for so long.  
Minutes later a large grey and an arctic wolf enter the office, I smile smugly at the horrified expressions those two have when they see their boss talking to mobsters.  
He introduces us and says in a calm collected manner –"These two "concerned citizens" have a few worries about one of our missing mammal's cases, they are asking about Mr. Otterton's disappearance. Officer Snarlov, would you mind explaining your findings regarding that particular case?"- Bogo told the wolf while adjusting his reading glasses over his muzzle; he was looking through some files.  
The wolf gives his boss an "are you kidding me?" look but it took only one stern glare from the buffalo for the officer to obey.  
-"All evidence collected suggests that there was a vicious attack inside the car, the fight extended towards the forest nearby. We found wolf hair at the scene as well as tire marks from a van, CSI is still trying to determine the particular model"-

I sigh exasperated, really? That is all these cops could get? We found that in minutes while searching the scene, ugh if the force is this incompetent we should just take over the precinct by force for what I know we might be better cops than these bozos.  
-"Thank you Snarlov, now officer Wolford is there something you might want to add?"- The Chief's saccharine tone is so sarcastic I can't help tapping my foot on the edge of the chair in frustration, he hands the grey wolf the file he was just reading.  
The cop reads the file and his eyes widen, he looks at the chief and then at us, a wry grin spreads through his snout. Those guys are into something, I hope it's worth our time the longer we take to find Emmit the harder the chance of ever finding him, at least alive. Clearing his throat Wolford tells us –"There is a discrepancy in the recording footage from the traffic cameras, as soon as we were assigned to the case I went after the recordings and saw a suspicious white van coming out of the forest almost thirty minutes after the car crash, it entered the tunnel that led into Tundratown but it did not come out from the other end. I notified the chief but when I tried to show him the footage it had gone missing."-  
I see a small flicker of excitement in Nick's eyes after the wolf spoke; his cold grin gets wider and his tail wags a little, I can't help feeling that he has found an important lead. He is my sly fox after all.  
-"The strange part is that I saw the same images as my partner, but when we questioned the officers in charge of storing the evidence they told us it had never been submitted in the first place. When we called the mayor's office to ask for a copy of the recordings we were informed the traffic cameras in that area had been shut down for maintenance since last month, so it was impossible those images ever existed"- Snarlov added.  
So now I see why Bogo is so eager to work with us, either his officers are hallucinating or someone in the mayor's office was covering things up. The police could never actively prosecute someone so high up on the food chain without being ground down by the higher ups, but he knew us little mobsters did not have such issues.  
-"I am afraid that is all we have on this case, I wish we could be of more assistance"- Bogo says removing his glasses with so much sarcasm it makes me wish I could unleash Koslov right at him, I feel sorry for my poor comrade, he has been sitting in that limo almost all day bored out of his mind. Still the chief did keep his word; he has given a lot of information to us so killing him would be very unfair and if I have to be honest, I am very glad things turned up the way they did, I am not eager to add another corpse to my tally.  
In all fairness I do like not having to kill any mammal unless it's necessary, yet I guess that once you have the power to do it with impunity many of the moral issues I used to have are gone up in smoke. What is wrong with me? When taking lives did became an executive decision instead of an abhorrent crime in my head? I knew I sold my soul for my fox and my family but has it disintegrated already?  
-"In the abandoned train station next to Savannah Square there is an old train with a secret lab inside, someone is using toxic plants to create some sort of drug. We don't know what for but I don't think it is for recreational use."- Nick tells the cops with half lidded eyes and his trademark sly grin, he lends me his arm as we stroll out of the office waving our "new friends" goodbye.  
As we walk out of the precinct I whisper to Nick –"I'm not sure you should have told them about that"-  
-"Quid pro quo Carrots, they gave us a lead expecting we might give them something back. Next time they need us or we need them they'll be more willing to cooperate. Besides the family never got involved into drugs, our boss thinks they are too messy so we don't have an angle to work there. The cops have the resources to investigate what is in that lab much better than we do, once they get an answer they will tell us what they found, whether they like it or not"- His grin turns devious and I can't help noticing how big and sharp his fangs are, my instincts can't help to beg me to run away, I hope I can handle my emotions before he can smell my fear.  
-"You okay Carrots?"- He tells me lifting one eyebrow; his mask of nonchalance can barely hide the hurt I see in his eyes, he either smelled my fear or my nose twitching gave me away.  
-"It's just that..."- my brain scrambles for a way to salvage the situation –"I've never seen you so eager to attack someone, you never really liked to used violence but when you were with the Chief you almost ripped his throat out"-  
His emerald green eyes turn distant as his paw settles in the small of my back drawing me next to him –"I never liked guys like him, they are bullies that shield their actions behind authority. Beside I didn't like the way he talked to you, no one disrespects my girl"- I roll my eyes at his display of possessiveness, so it is true what they say about canides and their protective instincts  
-"Nick you can't attack every mammal that gives me the stink eye."- I chuckle shaking my head –"I am a big girl I can handle myself. I have to ask though, how did a rebel like you have no problem working for our boss? Everyone says you are very loyal and respectful to him"-  
-"First of all I am not happy about the way he has been doing things lately, he used to be much more honorable than this and I certainly don't approve of what he has done to you, but with a dead daughter I guess it's kinda understandable that he loses some of his mind. Make no mistake Judy, the boss is powerful but he never judged anyone based on their species, looks or origin. To him everyone has potential and is worthy of some respect, unless you piss him off of course, then you know what happens."-  
I nod as I recall Doug's fate, it is too easy for me to picture the dead ram floating away below the ice cold surface.  
My dark thoughts are interrupted by my fox's question, he sounds worried –"Judy are you still afraid of me?"-  
There is no point in denying the truth, it hurts to admit this but I need him to understand why I feel fear towards foxes in general, even when that doesn't negate my feelings for him. -"Sometimes, and it's not just because our history as a species. But you have to remember you were made by nature to hunt prey like me, my instincts are ingrained into fearing you. There is also the issue of growing up with a fox that got his rocks off by bullying me for most of the school year, I was a weird bunny so I didn't have many friends when I was a kit, the other kits would leave me alone to fend for myself as that big fat fox used me as a scratching post. I still remember his teeth and claws as he stood over me"- I said fighting tears as I grabbed his paw and guided it towards my cheek, his pads went deeper below the fur and he could feel the marks Gideon Grey left in me.  
-"Tell me his name"- Nick commands and I swear his eyes are glowing with hate.  
-"No! That was a long time ago and I got over it. Pull yourself together we have work to do"- I tell him coldly, there is no point in dwelling in the past.  
Besides something in those deep radioactive green eyes is stirring feelings inside my loins that are not appropriate to deal with at this particular moment. It is strange how my fear and lust mingled in my mind after our first encounter, it might have been because the first time I was sexually aroused I had been terrified, I guess I developed a kink for the dangerousness my lover irradiated when I first met him. I know how weird it sounds but the fear he triggers in me somehow is part of his appeal. Yes I am afraid but it's the kind of fear that puts a rush through my spine and triggers my most hidden desires.  
Putting those heated thoughts out of my mind I call the boss as soon as we get into the limo, he had told us to contact him as soon as we finished with Bogo. Koslov is beaming when we get inside; he lifts his blades in the air like a cub ready to play. Nick tells him pouting –"Sorry buddy, but chief buffalo-butt made his part of the deal. Don't worry there will be other chances for you to get some fun, I promise"-  
I stifle a giggle as the call connects and Mr. Big' voice sounds through the speaker.  
-"Well? Are we going after them?"- He sounds as pleasing as ever but his excitement over going against the cops is palpable, I almost feel sad to burst his bubble even when technically speaking we did our jobs and have good news.  
-"The Chief chose to cooperate; he told us someone at the mayor's office is blocking the police investigation. My guess is that is has to be someone in a high rank, maybe Lionhart himself"- I say smugly, we are making great progress.  
-"I see..."- he doesn't hide his disappointment –"What is his price, what does he want?"-  
-"The fourteen missing mammals safe and sound sir, Otterton included"-  
There is an awkward silence from the boss' side of the line  
-"Yup I couldn't believe it either boss"- Nick said chuckling  
-"An honest cop is one of the most dangerous assets to own, no wonder neither us nor other mafias never managed to infiltrate Savanah district. "- Our boss muttered,we weren't used to working with the righteous.  
-"Sir we might need to put a tail on the mayor, but for that we need several comrades and at least three cars. If we follow him with anything else he might spot us."- I never made it into police training but know enough from previous research that you cannot tail an individual smarter than a pumpkin with only one car in medium distance like they show you in the movies, you would get spotted right away.  
-"Don't worry about Lionheart Judy. I'll put a whole team of comrades to follow him, and if he is involved into all this I'll get his head, nobody is too powerful to get away with this."- The menace in his voice makes me shudder, I inch closer to Nick looking for reassurance, it's funny how the fox beside me can scare me sometimes and other times make me feel safe. -"Besides carrots, I know where the van was heading."- Nick told me in his smug grin while holding me closer to him –"If they took the tunnel from Rainforest to Tundratown but didn't come out the other way it's likely that they took the maintenance tunnel right below the intersection. I've used it several times when I was running from the cops after a hustle went wrong. I bet those donut chompers don't even know about its existence"-  
-"Where does that tunnel lead?"- I asked curious running my paws into the thick fur at the top of his head.  
-"It goes to the outside of Zootopia and into Feralia. The road passes next to the waterfall, it's perfect for getting rid of any evidence you might carry with you"- His eyes turn somber, the possibility that the waterfall might be useful for disposing bodies run through both our heads. -"That means they either they went out of town which is likely, or they're heading to Cliffside asylum"- I concluded somberly, the mere mention of that place fills me with dread.  
-"You know about that place?"- Nick asked raising an eyebrow

I nodded, I learned all about it in law school –"It's where they kept the criminal predators back in the day, when shock collar therapy was considered an acceptable form of treatment."-  
-"Well if I were taking mammals against their will for my nefarious hidden agenda that's the place I would use. It's been abandoned for years and accessible through roads to both Zootopia and the outside of town."- Nick then addressed our chauffeur –"Koslov we need something more conspicuous than this limo, if possible a white van and maybe a few wolf comrades. According to the coppers the guy behind this is hiring wolves. If this is the place they took Otterton we need to blend in as much as we can"-  
The polar bear nods smiling –"I will take care of it Nick, let me drive you to a nice place so you guys can have something to eat while I get everything ready"-  
Koslov drove us to the gilded truffle, one of the fanciest restaurants in Savannah district. We walked right in and at the sight of our black suits we were immediately taken to their best table, actually I have been too long on the other side of this situation to feel comfortable having someone else wait tables at me. I would've rather to go to a takeout place; it wouldn't have reminded me so much of my previous life.  
-"What is it?"- Nick asks me  
-"I'm having trouble getting used to this kinda lifestyle; I mean a few days ago I was a waitress in a place like this. I know it sounds silly but this restaurant makes me uncomfortable, could we just get out of here and grab some take out or something?"-  
-"Sorry Carrots but we were taken here for a reason, this place belongs to our boss he is probably keeping tabs on us. You also need to understand that from now on we have an image to maintain, we have to command respect from others and we cannot do that if they see us munching a bug burger or a vegetable taco at the side of a food truck."- He was as uncomfortable as me in this scenario, but for a different reason, foxes are never allowed to step paw in fancy places like this it must be strange for him to be welcomed right in.  
-"Nick we have been working for the mafia for less than three days, don't you think this might be getting a little into your head? You talk like we were Mr. Big's second in command or something"-  
-"No we are not anywhere near that, but don't be confused we are not lowlife mobsters either. This mission is very important and a lot is at stake, if we were insignificant we wouldn't be allowed to call the shots in this job."- He says as he pulls the chair for me to sit in, no one has ever been this chivalrous with me before.  
It kinda clicks into my head; we have been given somewhat of a VIP treatment ever since we joined. We were given a large room in the manor, traveling exclusively by limousine and now dining in fancy places. I have no idea why we are given this kind of treatment but Nick is right most mobsters don't get this benefits when they first enroll, as if trying to provide an answer the heart of Bamalia tugs at my neck, it feels heavier with every passing moment. When bunnies find someone they like and have sex with them, marriage comes right away and so do kits. In my culture Nick would be heading to the isle within hours of my family knowing we had intercourse, even if that meant my dad had to aim a shotgun to his head to provide extra motivation, hell if he were a buck I would be so pregnant right now. So an imposed wedding isn't something I have trouble with, but the idea that it is not my choice. Besides the whole reason for the fast wedding for bunnies is because of a doe's fertility, which is not an issue here I don't think he can ever get me pregnant. All my life I fought against a society that forced me into doing its bidding. If I ever get married I want it to be my choice, not my families', not societies' and certainly not my boss'.  
As expected the meal is delicious and I can't help feeling a little giddy about the whole thing, I don't want to ruin the mood for Nick but in my head this counts as a first date.  
I have been so enthralled by the meal I didn't notice how quiet he has been since we sat down.  
-"Are you okay Nick? You seem distracted"- I ask concerned.  
-"I am just thinking about what you told me earlier, about that bully that used to hurt you."- I can tell from his determined stare that he won't drop the subject until he finds out Gideon's name and turns that fox into a jigsaw puzzle of torn limbs.  
-"I told you already it is all in the past, he cannot hurt me anymore"- I smile confidently, I would like to see that jerk attack me now, he would not make it out alive.  
-"It does hurt you Judy, it causes you to flinch whenever I show my teeth. Is there a part of you, even a small one, which thinks I would actually try to eat you?"- The vulnerability in his eyes makes my heart beat faster, I know the truth might hurt him, thankfully I have been thinking of a way to hustle my issues out of this one.  
-"I don't know... would you?"- I make my voice sound sultry and deep, my eyes stare right at his daring him to face me. –"Would you, a big... bad... strong... fox, try to maul a tiny wittle bunny like me?"- He can smell my arousal right now, I can tell by the way his nostrils flare and his pupils enlarge. My claws trace a lazy circle over his large paw, I inch closer to him, I want him to smell how much I desire his body. –"There is nothing wrong with a little fear sometimes, don't you think?"-He growls, it's a guttural rumble I heard several times whenever he mounts me, god I love that sound. I love the feral powerful beast he becomes when we are alone behind closed doors, even when I know his civilization would never allow him to hurt me.  
I can tell he is mentally looking for the nearest place where he can have me, he wants to take me right now and I want to ravish him as well. Alas, his phone sounds and I stop his paw before he hangs the call or throws it away, we have a job to do and we can't afford to be knotted together for more than an hour. It's too bad you are not a bunny Nick, we could have managed to get a quickie in the bathroom before heading our way.  
-"Hello"- His voice doesn't hide the rage he feels right now, there is nothing more dangerous than a canid that has been knotblocked.  
-"Hey Nick, we got everything you need we are waiting outside the restaurant."- Lobato's voice sounds from his speaker, I met him last night at the party he is kinda crazy.  
Three wolves wait for us outside, we get into the back of the van and feast our eyes on all the equipment Koslov has kindly provided for us, from assault rifles to small handguns and also some C4 and Kevlar jackets. With all this we could take down an entire army and maybe that could happen, considering the resources our target has. 

There is something definitely shifty going on in Cliffside, for an abandoned building there are too many security guards placed outside.  
Nick is right when he says wolves can be dumb, we enter the building without even flashing a security badge but once inside we have to shoot the guards that try to open the van, expecting to find the kidnap victims only to see us aiming at them with raised guns, thank god for silencers the rest of them didn't hear a thing.  
-"Guys we need you to call for backup, this place is filled with guards and equipment we cannot take it down on our own. Besides I need you to secure us a way out in case they trigger the alarms"- I command our coworkers, they nod in response and mutter a respectful –"Yes ma'am"-  
Nick and I head upstairs while Lobato, Licantro and Wolfgagng stay downstairs to secure the place. We find several rows of empty rooms filled with medical equipment, considering this was used as a mental facility it shouldn't surprise me, but it has been allegedly shut down for over a decade yet the equipment here is brand new.  
-"Carrots!"- I hear my partner call me as he nods his head towards a very large room, once inside I see several rows of cells with plexiglass walls, inside there are the missing mammals. My eyes rest over one of those cells and I find Emmit staring right back at me, I rush to his side and tell him we will get him out of there and back to his family, but his only response is a feral snarl as his claws try to pierce the glass so he can tear me to shreds. The otter behind the glass is not the one I used to know, Otterton is the sweetest gentlemammal I have ever known, yet this creature snarls at me like a primal beast. He lunges at the barrier with all his strength, his paws bleed after they step over his broken glasses, once he or it realizes he cannot get to me because of the glass wall he hides behind his bunk bed and hisses defensively at me.  
I count the prisoners in the room –"Nick these are the fourteen missing mammals Bogo is looking for"-  
-"Yup but I don't think they are ready to come home"- he says troubled.  
My phone rings and I see my parents picture on its screen, normally I would deny the call but I have something important to ask them.  
-"Hey mom! Hey dad!"- I say cheerfully trying to hide the dangerous situation I am in, they cannot help getting worried about me since I have been living in the city.  
-"Hey Jude the Dude! Have you heard the news? Hogward is dead and we got the scripture to our land back, you can come home now!"- I try my best not to snort at my dad's naïve happy claim, like I could just go back to Bunnyburrow after all I have been through, after what have I become. But now it's not the time to have that kind of conversation with them. -"Sure dad we'll talk about it later"- I say lying through my teeth –"look I need to ask you about the blue flowers you used to plant as a plague repellent"-  
-"Oh the Midnicampum Holicithias? Sure what do you want to know about them?"-  
-"If a mammal has contact with them, what would happen? I mean I know they are poisonous but what are the symptoms if you get intoxicated with them"- I try to sound nonchalant about the whole thing and pray they don't notice the huge Bengal tiger pacing frantically behind me in its cell.  
-"Oh ask you mother, your uncle Terry ate one when they were kids and he went crazy on her. It was pretty scary"-  
-"Like a savage?"- I ask looking at the room filled with beasts.  
-"No he did not go savage on me, he just started growling and bit my arm"- Mom told him rolling her eyes.  
-"He bit you pretty hard, I'll say he went savage all right."- Dad huffed in response. -"Thanks! You have been of so much help bye!"- I really want to end the call before they realize something is wrong.  
I hear my dad asking me when I am coming back home right before I end the call, I whisper "never" as I hang up, my ears droop behind my back at the realization of how my previous life is gone for good.

There's no time for mourning right now, we hear voices coming from the gates and we see Lionheart entering the room with a badger wearing a lab coat.  
-"Sir we haven't found the cause of what's making them act this way"- The badger pleads to the mayor before both of them notice us standing right in the middle of the dark room. -"Well hello mayor, it's nice to see you again"- I purr as his shocked eyes travel down my body  
-"Violet? Is that you?"- He says between confused and scared, he has noticed our black suits.  
-"Not anymore, that was my stripper name, as you can see I have changed careers since last time you saw me"- I say aiming my gun at him.  
Nick steps between us, from behind him I can see the hairs on his back stand up and his tail lashing in agitation.  
-"Well mayor I have to say I am puzzled, here we were, looking desperately for our friend Mr. Otterton and now we find him trapped in a cell gone savage. I was wondering who would do that to poor Emmit and now I see you are in charge of this whole thing"- He takes a gun from his holster and aims it right at the lion.  
Lionheart's large paws rise in the air, he might be a sleazebag but I admire his composure considering he is facing two dangerous armed mobsters.  
-"Please, let me explain. I am not responsible for the way they are right now, I don't even know what is wrong with them we are actually trying to find a cure for all this predators. I saw they were turning savage so I brought them here and gave them the best medical care available until we could fix whatever is wrong with them and send them back into society"- He explained in the same tone he uses to charm reporters during an interview.  
-"How magnanimous of you mayor, now tell me. Did you never considered the possibility of sending these poor souls to an actual hospital before locking them up? Their families are terrified! Most of them are thought to be dead by now"- I say not hiding my anger, I feel some sort of satisfaction at the sound of Nick's gun as the safety clicks, if he pulls the trigger that jerk won't have a chance to sweet talk his way out of trouble anymore. For what I know he might be lying to us and actually harming these innocent mammals on purpose.  
-"You don't understand. All the mammals turning savage are predators, if the populace finds out prey will be terrified and before we now it a species war will break out! The prey-predator relationships are getting tenser every day this would turn the city into chaos."-  
-"What do you say Carrots? The boss told us to bring the one responsible for Otterton's disappearance dead or alive; it's up to us now"-  
I ponder our options and came to the conclusion we need answers, nobody is better that our boss when it comes to getting them -"Let's bring him alive, he needs to have a chat with Mr. Big, then he'll decide what to do with him"-  
-"Please don't kill me; you don't know how bad things would be for the city if I am not here to control this. Zootopia would turn into chaos and a war would tear it apart"- He is terrified either for his life or his city, soon we'll know which one is it.  
-"It is not your decision anymore, and neither is ours, it's up to the boss if you live or die. Make your case with him. As for the city, you are late, there is already a war taking place and there is nothing but chaos ruling it right now, you just couldn't see it from your ivory tower"- I snarl at him as we take him to gun point towards the getaway van. If my comrades were following him I would not be surprised if they already secured the perimeter downstairs, and by secure I mean they caused a huge bloodbath.

Chapter 6  
Nick's POV  
Oh shit. I expected a bloodbath once we got out of the asylum, but this is something else. It's not the amount of corpses, if anything there are only a few of them, it's just that our buddies made a big show of tearing them apart and sprawling their chunks all over the white floors. Most of the victims are former members of the private security team Mayor Lionfart hired to guard this place, only one of them seems to be part of the medical staff, at least that's what I can tell from what is left of a white lab coat.  
We walk taking the mayor at gunpoint towards the bridge over the waterfall and we are greeted by Koslov and a large group of terrified wolves, I recognize them as the rest of the dumb security guards we trespassed a few hours ago.  
-"What's up with these guys?"- I say wondering what the large psycho might have planned for them.  
Our comrade smiles proudly and gives the wolves a large friendly hug  
-"We have new recruits! I gave them the opportunity to either join us or remain with their other partners"- He said pointing at the torn corpses –"And they chose us!"- He added with a sinister wink.  
So that was why the mobsters got so nasty with only a few of them, they wanted more recruits and guessed seeing their coworkers brutally murdered and torn apart was an excellent persuasion strategy, if the boss keeps going like this half of Zootopia will be under his employment. And if he keeps hiring more mammals I'm worried the whole mafia structure might collapse under its own weight. But at the same time I cannot forget we are heading to a full blown gang war, building up resources might be a good strategy.  
....  
I gotta give credit to Lionheart, he manages to keep his cool even when facing the boss and his bears, any other mammal would be a quivering puddle of tears by now. He told the boss his side of the story, he wasn't trying to save his fur of an anti-predator scandal nooo, he was only a bleeding heart politician doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. I felt the need to play the tiniest violin for the plight of this poor corrupted fuck.  
Mr. Big finishes hearing his story and with a calm sadness he tells the mayor –"You chose to lock up in a cage someone who was one of our family, someone who was poisoned. When all of this begun to happen, didn't you even consider of asking for our help? Don't you think we would have done something?"- He sounds so sympathetic towards the lion, only the small twist in his tiny muzzle gives away the mirth of his true intentions. Oh yes, the boss is very eager to help those in need, as long as you are willing to pay the price.  
I know why Lionheart kept this to himself, once you owe the boss a favor you are under his rule for the rest of your life, from then on you have to do as he says. If you play nicely and follow the boss' rules you might even be aided by the mafia and enter the family, but if you try to get away from his shadow you will be punished.  
The smart lion vows his head, he knows his tail belongs to the boss now –"I am sorry sir, I thought I could handle this problem but more mammals kept going savage and we are not any closer to find the reason why this is happening. Things just got out of my control"-

-"Judy, would you mind explaining our guest what seems to be wrong with those mammals?"- He told my girlfriend warmly, she is now the de facto expert on these chemical attacks.  
-"They were poisoned with a substance created from a flower named Midnicampum Holicithias, it has the ability to make all mammals, predators or not, into savages. In its natural form the flowers have a very short lived effect, but since these predators were hit with an altered form of it and are still showing symptoms I believe the artificial process makes it last longer"- my smart bunny told the confused lion  
Lionheart looked at Judy with a stunned expression as she showed him the pictures of the abandoned lab were the flowers were being harvested and then turned into a dangerous serum, confronted with the evidence he roared in frustration –"How is it possible that a stripper figured out something the best doctors I could buy didn't?"-  
-"Next time mayor ask for the opinion of a country folk, they have known about them for years"- She said smugly.  
-"I must say I am very disappointed at you Mr. Mayor, for taking one of our own behind our back."- The boss has this devious edge in his voice that promises things are about to get ugly in here.  
Koslov is already lurking behind the lion, I realize the trapdoor is too small to fit someone so big, I have no idea what the guys are planning to do with the corpse if they choose to ice him. If they kill him how are they supposed to get rid of the body? It is possible that our comrades will chop him in pieces; damn I hope they don't make me use the saw again.  
-"But I cannot deny you meant well, my faithful family members searched through the asylum and have verified that you did give them the best treatment available. They consulted the medical professionals you hired, by the way all your doctors work for me now, well those that survived our arrival at least. For your actions you will not be iced, but you cannot take one of our own without punishment. So instead of ice I'll punish you with fire."- With a casual wave he gave Michael, the polar bear behind the desk, the silent order.  
Koslov had no problem pinning the struggling lion to the ground while Michael was near the fireplace heating a large iron brand with the name B on its center, once it was red hot the brand was shoved into the lion's chest. A loud powerful roar exploded in the office followed by a lot of wailings and curses from the Mayor's mouth.  
The smell of burnt flesh and fur stinks the room, the once powerful lion cries kneeling on the floor like a cub, he should stop bitching and be grateful the boss let him live. The branding is painful but not incapacitating or lethal, our "beloved" democratic leader will be able to carry on with his job freeloading from the civilian's taxes without much difficulty, but every time he looks below his shirt he will be reminded that he belongs to the Tundratown mafia now. The boss made the right call on this one, killing someone of such a big profile would cause more trouble than it is worth, besides he wanted to have control over the capitol for years now and today he has finally got it.  
-"Do not worry Mayor, your doctors and scientist will probably find a cure for the predators now that they know what is causing their illness, when we have the cure you will be able to set them free, we shall make arrangements with the police for that. As for the ones behind the poisonings our best mammals are on the case, when they are brought to justice you will be seen as a hero, not mentioning that if another mammal goes savage you will have the cure on your grasp and will be able to stop that civil war you are so worried about."- The shrew says magnanimous, this is kind of a happy outcome when you think of it. Once they find a cure Lionheart will get to play the hero, Bogo will get his missing mammals safe and sound and Mr. Big will have control over the Zootopia government, everyone wins.  
-"Thank you sir, you are very kind"- The burnt lion says still crying  
The boss stretches his paw in Lionheart's direction and he softly kisses the ring. –"We will take care of you, welcome to the family"- I can tell by the frigid tone in his voice that Mr. Big isn't very honest about his offering, the moment lionfart steps out of line he will end up iced or worse.  
And just like that, in less than 24 hours the Tundratown mafia has accomplished something no other family has ever been able to, by having leverage on both the first district police and the Mayor we are now in the position to claim the most rich and important place in Zootopia, we are going to be the owners of the Savannah.  
.....  
Later that night there is another welcoming ceremony for the hundred wolves that are now members of the Tundratown crew, there is as much booze as our own party had last night but now we need many more tables to accommodate all of us. My suspicions are arisen once more, the crowd is getting bigger everyday and I worry there might be a collapse, and how do we know if one of these new guys are not cops or spies sent to infiltrate the mafia? Then I remember Mr. Big is no fool, he must have something on his sleeve.  
And sure enough, there he is, standing above us in a raised platform. He clears his throat and that small imperceptible sound makes the huge rambunctious group stay quiet in a manner of seconds, you could hear the flutter of wings of a fly if the insects dared to make an appearance in the now solemn room.  
The boss doesn't need to yell or raise his tone to be heard, but today he has a passion in his voice I never heard before, he sounds like a magnificent king giving a battle speech to his warriors before a gruesome battle -"Yuri, Kevin and Raymond have followed the lead of the blue chemical to a terrorist group called the Movement for Pray Supremacy located in the Meadowlands. They contacted the leader of said organization, a goat named Charles Goatson, this morning"- The boss says reaching his tiny paw towards Yuri, the large bear walks toward the center of the room with a large box in his massive paws, then he removes the severed head of a large goat from it and proudly swings it around for every mobster to see–"After a long civilized and friendly chat our comrades were able to gain some information. Apparently he is not responsible for the poisonings, and I wouldn't be surprised. Terrorist groups are known for not having a structured organization, the leader merely spews hate and his followers act on their own. But now we know one of their members has resources within this movement, since all the leads and suspects we questioned were somehow linked to the terrorists and it is clear now that one of them is the true culprit of these crimes."-  
-"So the other mafias are not responsible for all of this! We don't have to go to war with them"- Judy whispered softly into my ear, she sounded so hopeful. Oh my sweet bunny, you can be so naïve sometimes. Once the boss set his eyes over the other turfs outside of Tundratown the rest of the mafias begun to plan for an offensive, not attacking now would be seen as a sign of weakness and that would mean we all could end up killed.  
-"Um sir, if I may ask."- I said shyly worried the boss might be offended if I interrupted him in the middle of his speech –"Are these terrorists our main targets now?"-  
He nodded at me then addressed the rest of the comrades –"Tonight we strike against every known cell of the Movement for Pray Supremacy, but I have no illusion that will be the end of them. As I said terrorists usually work within small factions independent from each other, killing their leader is like cutting through the head of a hydra, two more of them will grow in its place. But tonight we are making a statement; you do not cross the Tundratown Family without paying the price!"- At the seething rage oozing from the shrew's voice every mammal in the family, from the tiny shrews and moles to the large polar bears and tigers roared and raised their fists in the air, the battle cry rumbled through the entire mansion all the way to the freezing landscape around us. I am not ashamed to say both me and Judy did the same, what can I say? The boss can be a very inspiring mammal when he wants to.  
-"And after tonight we will not settle with the MPS, our next targets will be the Sahara and the Rainforest mafia. As the elder members might have guessed, we have a lot of new recruits with us now, more than I can look out for. So I need to organize the new ones in groups and I will designate a few trusted comrades to rule over them. I believe it is time for the Tundratown mafia to separate in smaller families, who will still be under my rule. We are too powerful to back down now and we need to establish our power in the Savannah district while we still can. It is our duty to attack with all we've got and strike fear in every creature in Zootopia, because we will be the rulers of this city, it is time for everyone to know that."- More roaring and clapping busted through the air. The mafia wars are about to happen and it will be brutal, but now Mr. Big made some powerful allies and he has been priming his personal army for this. Maybe, just maybe, we could stand a chance and win.  
....  
After the party Judy and I are told the boss wants to talk to us in his office, beside us there's Kevin Raymond and an elk named Kistoff. The shrew swivels in his tiny wooden chair over his desk.  
-"From now on I am assigning all of you as the heads of the four sub families, you will answer only to me and each one will have about a hundred young comrades under your rule. You will be given a territory to win over the competition and dominate, use whatever force you deem necessary. Kristoff, you will be assigned to the Nocturnal District."- The elk bowed in respect, kissed the boss' ring and left. –"Kevin, you will go to Sahara Square"- The large polar bear did the same –"Raymond you will take the Rainforest district"-  
In the end we are alone with Mr. Big in his office, what he says next I should had seen coming but it still felt shocking to hear it –"Nick, Judy, without your help we would have not be able to infiltrate the Savannah District, so I think it is only fair if you are assigned to be the leaders of that turf."-  
She looks at me in panic and I can both read and share her thoughts, we are way too green for such a difficult assignment. One of the most important rules in the mafia is to never question the orders of the boss, but the last thing I want is for me and my bunny to end up filled with lead because we made a mistake and stuck our snouts where we weren't supposed to.  
Shit the sole action of stepping into the Savannah turf is going to get the other two mafias against us, how the fuck are we supposed to stand up to them? Look our boss might be fearsome, but the camel ruling over the Sahara mob is said to carry a collection of skulls of his victims so large, he used them as a foundation to build his manor. Yeah that's right, Samir Ke'elan, boss of the Sahara family is living in a castle made of skulls. And let's not forget the Jaguar ruling the Rainforest mob, Marlene Furia, she turned the Canal District in such a bullet ridden hellhole the police simply packed its bags and left the district. I heard you cannot go to there and survive unless you work for her.

So now we are supposed to not just infiltrate that territory but we have to dominate it as well, and for that we have to fight off not one but two very dangerous crime lords, oh and let's not forget that first we need to strike a FUCKING TERRORIST GROUP! Yeah boss, sounds like a piece of cake.  
-"Sir I'm flattered but don't you think it would be best to hire someone more experienced for this kinda job?"- I ask terrified, hoping against hope that he might reconsider such a foolish action.  
-"I know this is not an easy task Nick, but you must trust that I would not assign it to you if I wasn't sure you could do it. That is why Judy will be by your side, she will fight with you as an equal sharing as much responsibility as you"- Mr. Big says warmly and I wonder if he isn't sending us like lambs to the slaughter when he named us bosses of a sub-family.  
After being addressed Judy's ears drop behind her head, I think the weight of her new position has finally settled in her head -"Are you sure about this? Nick is right we don't have enough experience to pull this off"  
-"Experience can only be accomplished through practice, what I like about both of you is that you use your brain more than your guns, but remember that as new leaders it is your obligation to earn your subordinates respect"-  
-"And how are we supposed to do that?"- I asked doing my best not to show how terrified I am; I can't let him see that he got to me.  
-"We haven't caught the responsible for the poisonings but we are sending a clear message to this terrorist group, we caught several members of the Movement for Pray Supremacy and tonight every leader of the sub families will show how ruthless they are by killing them in front of their subordinates. All of you must prove that you are not the type of mammal who will shy away from the dirty work and that you are worthy not only of their fear but also their respect."- The deviousness in the shrew's voice tells me he wants our attack over the terrorist's cells to be as brutal and gory as possible, he wants to send a message not only to the MPS but to the entire Zootopia underworld.  
We bow our heads and nod, accepting the impossible mission he gave us, as if we ever had a choice in the matter.  
-"Good, once you are established your main goal will be to take control of the Savannah, both of the other mafias have a few business in there, it is your job to chase them out. It can be by the good or the bad way but you have to establish your control in the area by spring is that clear?"-  
-"Yes sir"- we say in unison, kiss the red ring and leave the office. Once outside my girl hugs me tight, only the sweet smell of her soft fur stops me from curling into a ball and cry like I were a kit, if I want her to survive I need to toughen up.  
Her soft lips find my own and the fear I felt slowly melts away, her eyes are now boring into mine with a fierce confidence that tells me she has a plan.  
-"We can do this Nick, we will do this. And when every one of our enemies is gone, we will rule over the Savannah and do things right for once. Maybe we can't help the whole world but when we get control over the Savannah we will make it a better place, you'll see."- She says with a smile that could light up the entire tundra in a moonless night, in one of the most desperate situations we ever found ourselves in she managed to find hope not only for us but for the entire city. Very well my bunny, if the richest district is what you want then I guess I have no choice but to give it to you. But buckle up sweetheart, things will get much worse before they get any better.

Chapter 7  
Nick's pov  
We stand in the rooftop over a one store building overlooking at the abandoned garage the Movement for Pray Supremacy uses for their meetings. All our comrades are surrounding it holding sniper rifles.  
Judy entered the building an hour ago, along with two sheep that recently joined the family. She is supposed to pass as a new member while planting the bombs in strategic places over the place.  
I am terrified that they might find out about her plans, our plans, and kill her. The prey inside might be fluffy sheep but I know how violent and ruthless those fuckers can be, and now that we killed one of their leaders we can only expect them to get even worse.  
The young comrades are very enthusiastic to say the least, though I think psychopathic murder machines might be a more accurate description. I can practically hear their twitching fingers over the triggers, it kinda freaks me out but then again it's pretty useful that many of these guys have previous training with a sniper rifle, since I actually have none.  
Our main goal outside is:  
If things work out and Judy and the guys escape the building without trouble the bomb sets off, then it's up to us to shoot the terrorists that manage to get away from the explosion.  
If things go south in there Judy will give us a signal and we will provide back up, we expect that if they know we have them surrounded they will understand that they have no choice but to let her go, or face the rain of bullets we are preparing for them.  
But fuck! Why is she taking so long? I would kill for the ability to get in the warehouse and check on her without being mauled by the terrorist, but as a predator that is not really an option. My intercom connects with one of the newbies, a beaver with three previous convictions for arson and armed robbery –"Hey Danny, why don't you get inside and see why our guys are running so late?"- Before the guy can answer I see our three fluffballs leave the place running away and then I hear it go off.  
A cacophony of fire, deafening thunder and screams literally explode in the air, all the mobsters in the roof duck their heads for cover.  
I see several sheep and other prey animals scampering away from the warehouse, their wool matted with blood and shrapnel. There is some guilt inching away inside my head at the sight of so many injured mammals, but I push it aside knowing this is just the beginning. There is no point in trying to act like I am a decent fox after all I have done and will have to do in the future, I sold my soul to the devil, now it would be hypocritical of me to flinch as I look at the flames of hell.  
-"Do we start with phase two boss?"- I hear Lobato asking me through the intercom, the excitement and glee in his voice is palpable, I kinda envy the guy for he enjoys the same dirty work I hate doing.  
-"Not until we are sure our guys are okay, we don't want to risk shooting them"- I say as I take the emergency stairs to the ground looking for Judy, I call her on the phone but she isn't answering. There is some panic in my heart when I realize she was too close to the explosion and she might have been hit by the shockwaves. Minutes pass like ages as I look in the night searching for my girl but finally I hear whistles from above me and I see her waving from one of the rooftops. Almost howling with joy I sigh in relief as I quickly climb next to her and give my bunny a large hug, the sheep comrades beside her are fine as well so I give the order to my team.  
-"Phase two is on, I repeat, phase two is on"-  
-"Finally!"- My guys say in unison and now there is a shooting match below us, the wailing terrified terrorists are shot down one by one. The comrades are using them for target practice and they talk between them like teens over a first person shooter video game, it makes me sick to the stomach to remember that most of these guys are too young to understand the gravity of what they are doing.  
-"I got the fat one! That's got to be double points!"- A hyena says chuckling  
-"Dude I got one hidden behind a car, that is a shot worth at least five plus on my score!"- Another wolf snorts back  
I survey the slaughter below our feet, it is over in less than twenty minutes and the street is covered in fur, wool and blood. Now comes the most dangerous part, I look at my girl and I am worried, she seems shaky and a little wobbly on her feet.  
-"You okay carrots?"- I cannot hide my concern  
Shaking her head she says –"Yeah Nick, I just got hit by the shockwave and I'm kinda dizzy right now but I'll be fine"-  
-"Maybe you should sit this one out"- It takes way too much willpower not to drive her away from this carnage right now, I really wish I could keep her safe and away from all this carnage. She can be very efficient when doing a job, but I know she hates this violence as much as I do, probably even more.  
Putting on her Kevlar vest and her helmet she says –"No I can handle it"-  
Sadly she is right, we are supposed to prove to our guys and the whole Savannah how tough and ruthless we are, if she doesn't fight by my side she will be perceived as weak by the family, and when you work for the mafia looking weak is a one way ticket to the graveyard. Sorry sweetheart, I wish you could have been spared from all this shit, but now you either toughen up and taint your hands with even more blood or the mafia will eat you alive.  
I bark the orders at the intercom –"All right guys, the tickle fight is over, suit up we are starting phase three."-  
Up until now, most of us were relatively safe on the rooftops but our orders are to leave no one alive, the bomb we planted was meant for maiming and shock but it was certainly not strong enough to kill all of them, those that tried to escape were shot down but there is a large possibility many stayed inside. These terrorist have no qualms about using guns, so now we that have to go down and shoot the remaining preys, there is a big possibility they might shoot back.  
Half of us go down while the best snipers stay up, Judy and I on the lead. Neither of us wastes time with the hurt or agonizing ones, those we leave to the more inexperienced comrades behind us. We are looking for the terrorist that are able to defend themselves, and sure enough a big ram shows up from behind a turned table... Oh for fucks sake he is using a machine gun! Judy gets hit right in the chest before I blow his head off. I swing my assault rifle around the room looking for more threats and I can't hide my terror as I talk to her –"Judy are you okay?"- I want to be by her side so badly but none of that will help if another guy pops out of nowhere and start shooting at us while I let my guard down. –"I'm fine, ugh the vest protected me but it still hurts like..."- She couldn't finish the sentence when a hare came out from the rubble, his left ear was completely severed off by a piece of shrapnel and he begun to shoot in our direction, we turned him into a bullet deposit within seconds.  
Shots were fired in every direction, the bullet shower lasted for several minutes, I will never forget the smell of gunpowder and death that stench the torn room after we were finished.  
By the time the police came all that was left was a large collection of dead bodies, bullets and rubble.  
We on the other paw were back at the manor, Judy was sent to a large infirmary in the higher levels of the building along with a few comrades that got shot or bruised. I gotta give credit to the boss, the protective gear he gave us was top notch and thanks to it we not only had zero casualties but most of our guys were perfectly fine, the few that were injured only had minor lesions. Judy in fact will be up and running as usual in a few days, she just needs a little rest and to take it easy for a while; her cracked ribs should be healed in a few weeks though.  
I think we did a pretty decent job when it came to give a big statement, shit if a tally of seventy corpses and a torn building in the middle of the Savannah doesn't work then nothing will.  
I fret over Judy as I lower her into our bed, her eardrums were not torn but they did suffer from some damage after the explosion. The military titanium enhanced vest stopped the bullet from tearing into her but it still left a pretty nasty bruise, it's a good thing the boss has a whole medical team working for the mafia because at the rate things are going they sure will come handy in the future.  
-"I need to talk to the boss Nick"- She squirms below me as I tuck her in bed.  
-"No Carrots, what you need to do is get some rest, doctor's orders. Whatever you want to talk to him about can wait till morning"- Are bunnies always this active? For the life of me I can't stop her from bouncing of the walls.  
-"Look when I was in there the leader said they had a plan for dominating Zootopia and that once the new mayor was in charge prey would not fear predators anymore, he said they would bring the shock collars back!"- She said struggling in my arms as I tried to get her to lie down  
-"The new Mayor?"- I asked in disbelief, did these terrorists really have a plan to overthrow the government?  
-"Yes Nick, think about it, if Lionheart hadn't kidnapped the predators gone savage what do you think would have happened to the city? What would have the preys thought if preds were roaming the streets hurting innocent mammals?"- There is a feverish intensity in her eyes, my paw reaches at her twitching cute little nose and I am relieved to find it cold, no sign of actual fever. She just seems a bit adamant about the whole thing.  
-"That jerk was right, there would have been a species war and he as a predator would have been impeached"- Fuck, this whole scenario went from messy to disastrous in so little time we never saw it coming.  
-"And a new prey mayor would have taken his place, one with links to the terrorist organization. But their plan is not over yet, they still want to cause a speciest war and get rid of Lionheart."-  
-"Well we can't have that; we need a mayor that stays on our side if we want to take control of the Savannah."- Sighing I leave her bedside and head over to see the boss –"I'm telling Mr. Big about this, and I guess we will have to warn Lionfart about this coop so he can keep his eyes open for any prey capable of taking his position"-

-"We need to find who is behind this before the city is torn apart, this is more important that coming after the other mafias. After all, we both know they had nothing to do with Fru Fru's death or any of this stuff"- Those purple big eyes make me wish I could go back in time and stop all this bloodshed from happening, she wants all this massacres to end and not going after the other families would help that goal.  
Poor Judy, she doesn't like the idea of attacking more mammals than she absolutely has to, but once the Tundratown mafia aimed for the Savannah turf the choice was made and we can't go back now. -"We will fix all this mess carrots, but now I need you to rest, I'll come back as soon as I can"-.  
The boss listens to my report with a serious expression, once I'm done he lights up a microscopic cigarette, tiny smoke rings expand towards the roof of his office.-"Both of you did a good job Nick, too bad poor Judy got hurt I wanted to talk to her as well. You have proven to be worthy of your subordinates respect, this terrorists now know what is coming for them and the other families have by now heard of what you are capable of."-  
-"Thank you sir, but right now we are more concerned about this terrorist plot against the predators. If they overthrow the government they might bring the shock collars back, we have to warn the mayor"- I can see the gears in the shrew's head turning, his mind has already cooked up a plan I can tell, yet I worry that this plan is not something I'll like being a part of.  
He has an air of grandiosity about him, the kind that tells me he has a master plan already in the works and it would cause a big turmoil in the city.-"Political intrigues are delicate, to say the least. Looking for the culprit to all this in the town hall would take too much time and there is a large margin for error, I mean we would be searching for a corrupt politician willing to burn Zootopia to the ground only to achieve power"-  
-"You just described every single one of them"- I scoff sourly.  
-"Exactly, finding the one behind this would be impractical right now. Sometimes it is better to let things run their course"- He says with indifference waving a dismissive paw over the smoke.  
-"Are you saying we let the terrorists win?"- I raised my voice out of sheer incredulity; as if our boss was ready to let things go after all the family has gone through.  
-"What would be a better way to find them? We know the one behind this conspiracy wants to become mayor and will rise under a platform of hate, when the new ruler steps on the podium he or she won't be able to hide anymore"- There it is, the master devious plan, one that is destined to shake the grounds of everything we stood for. My eyes widen as I am taken aback by the implications of what the boss just said –"And then you will kill the new Mayor"- I said numb.  
Mr. Big taps his tiny snout with an evil grin.  
-"But what about the species war? What if innocent predators end up prisoners or worse?"- Look killing a group of terrorists is something I can live with, but letting innocent predators suffer is not something I am willing to do, even if that means I have to die for disobeying the boss.  
-"The cure for the serum will soon be found by our diligent scientist, as soon as they have it they will try it on the captive predators back in Cliffside. The missing mammals will eventually return to their homes and the new victims of the serum will be quickly healed, now we can't take recognition for all those good deeds, it might tarnish our hard earned reputation. No Nick, we will need a hero to take all the credit, a natural born leader in fact, one that will lead Zootopia to a new age of species equality after the city is torn with the pred-prey tensions that plagued it in the past."-  
I laugh in disbelief, the boss can be quite the puppet master when he puts his mind into it –"You will place a mayor in the town hall that answers to the family, you will actually rule Zootopia!"-  
-"Dear Nick, we both know the mayor is merely a patsy pretending to control this town. It is families like ours that actually bring order and peace to the citizens that only want to go on with their lives and not worry about getting killed on the street by unorganized crime. And that my friend is where you and your future wife will come in, before this plotter achieves its goal the city will merge into chaos, the police will be too busy with riots to worry about a few mobsters disappearing, capishe?"- The last word makes clear the true cruelty of his intentions, there will be no mercy for the other families -"That will be the perfect time for both of you to take over the Savannah and destroy our competition."-  
It takes all my courage to stand up to the boss, I am too aware of the trapdoor below my feet and the possibility of becoming another popsicle below the frozen ground. But this is something I have to do, forgive me Judy, I hope my foolishness doesn't drag you along with me. –"Sir, is this plan of yours, it could hurt many innocents if we get sloppy"-  
-"Would that be a problem Nick?"- He asks me unfazed.  
-"Yes sir it would, I am loyal to you and you know it, but I cannot help you if you hurt someone that has nothing to do with these wars"- I stare straight into his eyes, clutching my paws together so I can hide their trembling.  
The smile in his tiny snout is sad but also genuine –"I knew I made the right call when I named you and Judy rulers of the Savannah, loyalty is good but is useless without some principles to back it up. I give you my word that no innocents will be hurt, the speciest war will be hard on them but that is not something we have caused, it has existed for a long time now. Do not blame the family or yourselves for the wave of hatred that will sweep over Zootopia, it would have happened sooner or later, if anything this plan might help contain it."- I bow my head at the boss and kiss his ring, I am on the threshold outside of his office and before I can close the door I hear him chuckling behind me –"By the way Nick, spring weddings are cliché, now autumn ones on the other hand can be quite lovely."-  
Aw right, on top of bringing the rival families down now I have a forced wedding to worry about, because of course I have plenty of time to spare and nothing else on my plate right now. We are in the beginning of summer, the cold winds in the Tundratown manage to hide that fact, that means we have a few months to wiggle ourselves out of it.  
By the time I reach my room a new day is dawning, the bunny in my bed refused to go asleep so she stayed in our plush bed looking at the door until I came in. She didn't waste any time grilling me about my meeting with the boss, I told her everything, included the fact that I stood up to him in behalf of us both. She knows that could have caused both our deaths, but she told me she agreed with me wholeheartedly, she even made a pact with me in our bed. No matter what would happen to us, no matter what was at stake, we would never hurt an innocent mammal. It was a line we would never cross, even if that meant we might die because of it.  
I undress and lie beside her, soft fluffy warm fur caresses my torso, I find peace beside her I have never experienced before. Maybe autumn is not a season I should dread, maybe taking a bow to stay by her side for the rest of my (probably short) life is something I should be looking forward to instead of fear.

I close my eyes and we both quickly fall asleep, Judy cuddles beside me, my paws embrace her gently as to not hurt her bruised torso. Tomorrow we will strike against the other families, but today we'll finally get some rest.

Chapter 8  
Judy's POV  
Yes, its official now, the world has literally gone to hell. Lionheart can't make the savage mammals disappear anymore, because the terrorist targeting the predators started to poison them in public places. The worst case so far happened yesterday, when a group of five cats was crossing the street near Little Rodentia and all of the sudden they were turned savage. The crazed felines jumped right into the small rodent filled city and ate several helpless mice; to make things even worse; a news crew was nearby and filmed everything in all its disgusting glory. This isn't the dark ages anymore were predators cull prey's numbers with their superior strength, in this modern age different species have managed to live together, not because of a surge in kindness caused by civilization but because of sheer necessity. Today preys constitute ninety percent of the population, and civilization has granted them weapons much more powerful than any set of claws and teeth, if they choose to make war to the preds we all know who is gonna win in the end.  
In this very moment several manifestations are at the capitol demanding that Lionheart either fixes everything or steps down from his position, foolish are the citizens that think that would make things better, but fear always brings the stupidity out of the masses.  
Prey and predators are rallying against each other on daily basis, not even my favorite pop icon Gazelle with her peaceful protests, can stop this bigotry from tearing the city apart. Yet as the regular citizens barge into a civil war, the mammals in the underworld seem to thrive. When you are poor and desperate speciesism is not a luxury you can afford, you work with the ones you can work with and you cannot hide yourself in a bubble crafted of your narrowed views.  
The Mafias, all of them, don't care less about your species, size or gender. As long as you can offer a service to them you are more than welcomed to join in, the only limit to how far you can climb the power ladder is your own ambition and ability to survive as your enemies grow every day. At the rate things are going in the Savannah turf we will have more enemies than allies by the next week.  
Through all this cruelty the boss was right about the civil unrest; the police force is too busy stopping everyday citizens from hurting each other to care about the antics of career criminals. So now it is the best time to strike against the other two families. You know what they say: "when the cat is away the mice shall play", cheese and crackers after what happened yesterday that saying sounds pretty awful.  
I didn't want to fight them at first because I knew they were not responsible of any of this mess, but last week gangs from the Sahara family struck a bar were a group of comrades were having a drink, they shot our men down along with several other innocent mammals that were caught in the crossfire. You were right Nick, the moment Big set his eyes on the Savannah the Mafia wars became inevitable.  
My subordinates (I still feel weird calling them that way, even when technically that's what they are) were crazy happy trigger psychopaths but they were MY psychopaths, Samir must pay for their deaths. Nick wants to send a gang of our own to kill the shooters at the bar, but I can tell that "eye for an eye" approach will lead to more collateral damage, I think is best if instead of chasing the Sahara gangs away from our turf we should better go after the boss himself. Quit calling me crazy Nick I have a plan, and for cheese's sake wipe that terrified expression from your face.  
Going guns blazing into Samir Ke'elan's castle is not feasible, they would easily see us coming we would be shot a mile away from the gate. That camel is extremely paranoid, everyone knows that you can ́t go anywhere near him unless you proved your loyalty several times over, only the mobsters of his inner and most trusted circle have actually seen his face. There is only one type of mammal that can come close to him without much scrutiny, and that is a prostitute. He is known for having a perverted and unprecedented sexual appetite; females of every species are often called to his chamber to spend the night. His antics are well known and when you look into the details of his behavior it is clear that the cause of his stamina is his preference for hardcore drugs, and that is what I'll use to kill him. I made our scientists create a poison that could pass for a hallucinogenic like ecstasy at first, but then would turn into a powerful poison; the most important feature for this chemical is that it needs to have a very retarded effect so we can leave long before he notices something is wrong. If he died right away his men would kill all of us before we could fight back, our girls might be tough but they won't stand a chance against Samir's assassins, and it's not like we can smuggle a gun below our thongs. Big was right when he recruited his strippers for the cause, pretty females have access to places no other type of mammal can go, and for some reason males are often stupid enough to underestimate anyone with breasts.  
Enough with your growling Nick, we both know that I have to be there to make sure he gets the poison on his system, I can't just sit around hoping the girls will do the job without being caught or switching sides and tell on us. If you want a job done right you have to do it yourself.  
Now before you get all territorial on me, let me remind you that the reason I will go into the castle with so many girls is that I expect THEM to do the, uhh.... dirty work while I slip the poison on his drink. The idea is that I'll try to poison him shortly after our arrival. As soon as things get, well, heated, I'll go to the bathroom pretend I got sick and then leave. Samir will be so busy with the other girls he won't notice my absence.  
I have spoken to the strippers from the Down Low and they agreed on the plan, they're very eager to do this job you know? They want to get their revenge on Samir, he is a filthy sleazebag after all and he hurt many of their co workers or friends. At least when I was working in Big's strip club I knew the polar bears were watching my back, Samir always took his escorts to his castle so nobody would stop him once he set his perverted need on a helpless prostitute. And let's not forget the fact that after this job is done the girls will have enough money to never have the need to dance on a pole ever again.  
What if things go wrong you say? Dammit Slick, you need to put more trust in me, besides if things don't go according to plan I'll find a way out. You know how I am, I might seem reckless from the outside but in the end I always pull through and no, you cannot come with me and you know it. The moment they see you you'll be killed, besides we agreed to split targets: I go after Samir and you go after Marlene Furia. Good luck with that one it's not like you can pull the same trick as I do. Well... now that I think about it you could pass for a male stripper you know, I can almost see you in a cute little green speedo swishing that fluffy tail of yours.

Please stop growling.

....  
Later that night:  
I can't believe I'm saying this but I wish I had been a prostitute for more than a day; at least I would be more experienced in these matters. Nick was right I do have the habit of barging into situations I am not really prepared to handle, the only thing that puts me at ease is that the boss sent only the best girls into this mission, I am confident I won't be noticed while surrounded by Zootopia's most beautiful females. Stunning tigresses, cows and vixens dressed in jewel encrusted underwear make me look like a tiny kit that lost her way in a sea of beauty. And in this group of female escorts one of them will be the star of the show, the most expensive and beautiful whore in the whole world, a Gazelle dead ringer named Anabelle. I heard she often convinces rich moguls that she is the real diva and that her fortune is beginning to surpass the actual pop star's, I also heard she chose this profession not out of despair but because she wanted to and that her mind is as twisted as her body is beautiful.  
Samir Ke'lan didn't even bother to hide the fact that his castle was actually made of skulls, the bones protrude from the cement walls and seem to stare at me with their dead vacant eye sockets. As we are led deeper and deeper into the building several coyotes, meerkats and camels swing their guns around our general direction and give us lascivious stares, I force my nose not to twitch and give away my fear.  
The fearsome leader of the Sahara Mafia receives us completely naked and cocked out of his mind, white powder stains his nose and muzzle and drips down his muscular chest. I school my face not to gag at the sight of his huge manhood. –"Hello ladies! I hope you are ready for the wildest night of your lives!"- His deep loud voice rings and echoes through the large entrance hall, his eyes are bloodshot and bulging out, he seems about to burst into a manic fit.  
An array of pills, cocaine and champagne bottles greet us behind him. He points at the narcotic filled table with his hoof, inviting us to serve ourselves out of this drug version of an all you can have buffet, the girls waste no time in jumping right in. I lag behind and when Samir looks at me I tell him with a sultry smile, -"Thanks but I brought my own, it's a special blend a friend of mine brought from Animalia"-. Then I remove a tiny pill from a small silver box and show it off in front of him, it is stuck in the fur of my paw -"Too bad there's only one left, but you can have it if you want to"- His large hoof grabs my paw and his huge tongue licks the pill away from my grasp. The greedy jerk couldn't help himself and now the poison in rapidly heading into his system.  
All right, missions accomplished, now it's just a matter of surviving the night and not get molested while waiting for the dawn. Samir licks my paw again –"Such a cute little thing you are, why don't you come with me?"- The large mammal towers above me with a crazed hungry grin and my heart beats like a jackhammer as fear and nausea invade my stomach. Oh crap, I am such a dumb bunny! I called his attention and now this mobster wants to have sex with me.  
-"Daddy are we playing or not?"- Annabelle says impatient from behind us, Nick offered to thrice the original payment if she made sure to keep Samir's attention away from me, she gave us her word that the perverted Mob boss would only have eyes for her during the entire evening. I have to say, thank god for her impeccable work ethics.  
Anabelle was asked to lead the way and now she is eagerly following her orders, she does seem a bit too enthusiastic about her job though. –"You aren't trying to make me jealous are you? I thought I was your favorite"- The gazelle pouts, her pink lip gloss shine in the lights of the chandelier above us, I hear Samir sighing as his body relaxes somewhat and his ears twitch. Given the heavenly vision in front of him I am certain I have been forgotten, which is a huge relief.  
-"Oh my sweet coquette, you know you are my favorite girl"- Samir's voice turns soft and affectionate.  
The gazelle placed her hooves on her full hips –"Then prove it"- Annabelle's husky voice demands in a dare. I think the rumors about her are true, I see a devious glint in her eyes as the large camel scoops her up in his arms and gives her a passionate kiss.  
There is something disturbing in the private little show Annabelle prepared for our host, she dances into the pop beat of Gazelle's tunes with two tigresses at her side, the raunchy choreography makes the whole thing look like a twisted soft core porn parody of my idol's concerts. I sit in a comfortable rug as I look up to the table where the girls are dancing, the mobster is in the middle of us with a semi naked cow on each side, as of yet he hasn't done anything with any of us but he keeps shoving pills down his maw. If he keeps going at it I fear the poison might become pointless, you can't put that many drugs into your system and not suffer from a heart attack.  
A coyote enters the room and he has a shy expression on his face, gingerly he approaches his employer and carefully calls his attention.  
-"Can't you see I'm busy?"- The irritation in his voice makes the small canide flinch in fear and tuck his tail between his legs.  
He whispers into Ke'elan's ear and I see the camel tense, after roaring in rage like a crazed lion he yells at us to leave the castle right away, the only explanation he gives us is that he has urgent business to attend.  
-"What do you think that was all about?"- I ask one of the semi naked tigresses as we climb into the limo, the luxury vehicle speeds out of the Sahara District and wastes no time heading to the manor.  
-"I don't know"- The tigress says shrugging, her name is Celine and she is quite coveted in the Down Low for her dancing skills.  
-"Well I do"- Annabelle says with an evil spark in her eyes, it is disturbing to look at her sometimes; she's like the dark mirror version of the singer I have always looked up to. –"Your boyfriend told me to keep the show live and going at least until midnight, then he would set a diversion so we can get you out of there with your fluffy tail unscathed"- At my annoyed stare she raises her hooves defensively –"His words not mine"- I should have known Nick would try something like this, fine if he meddles with my mission I guess I'll have to meddle into his. Besides I don't like the idea of sending him alone against someone like Furia, that Jaguar is crazier than Ke'elan.  
-"But what could that diversion be?"- A cow named Siryana asks with a worried expression in her comely face, I feel sick in my stomach when I guess that she-camel is barely over eighteen and was probably forced into this lifestyle.  
-"Seeing that the most brutal warlord in the Sahara District was outraged I doubt it involved anything less than a massacre, you lovebirds have gotten a pretty nasty reputation for yourselves"- there is a sultriness in her devious smile that makes me think for a second that she might be flirting with me, I shake my head at the idea, it's just that I find her presence on itself too disturbing.  
....

-"You beheaded them?!"- I yell at Nick. As soon as I got to the manor we were told by Lobato that the shooters who killed our comrades were all murdered and their severed heads were thrown in the middle of the Sahara Square, right next to the gates of the fourth police precinct.  
-"Not really, the Sahara is Kevin's turf now remember? I just told him about our little mission and since we were helping him getting rid of Samir, he thought it would be appropriate to help us avenge our fallen comrades in the Savannah, that's all."- He had his half lidded eyes and smug smirk expression, the one that screamed he had pulled a good hustle and was proud of his work.  
-"Did any innocent got hurt when he did it?"- I inch closer to him, I might be a cute bunny half his size and I might be wearing only silk and lace underwear, but I can stand my ground against him if necessary and he knows that.  
His handsome face falls and turns serious -"No he went personally after them and hunted them one by one, it was pretty gruesome but the advantage of using knives against guns is that blades don't blow stray bullets"-  
I sigh in relief, after this night all I want right now is a long hot bath and a good book, but there is another mobster to defeat I can't afford to let my guard down. –"Good, I'll take a shower and then we'll talk about what to do with Furia"-  
How grateful I am for having an en suite bathroom right next to our bed, somehow tonight I don't have the energy to go after Furia but I guess I have several hours to recover. Whatever Nick has planned will probably involve a lot of firepower and brute force, he says we'll strike this afternoon.  
The hot water helps my muscles relax and clears my mind a little; it has only been two minutes since I stepped into it when I hear him entering the shower right behind me. His large clawed paws run over my torso, electricity fizzles at the contact between his raw paw pads and the soft skin beneath my fur. I can feel the fur of his nude body on my back, its course and thick and god I love how it feels. The slender muscle underneath that cream colored coat presses against my bare body, so warm and tight, so powerful and inviting. His erection is nudging me at the base of my tail and I wiggle my cotton softness as a clear invitation.  
His hands roam lower and soon his fingers find their way inside me, I gasp in wanton need placing one of my arms behind me and around his neck, the other arm is in the tiled wall in front of me so I don't lose my balance due to my trembling legs.  
He thrusts inside of me with the full force of his strong hips and I mewl in ecstasy and pain. Now I understand why he was always so patient and careful with our mating, he is too big and too strong and if he gets too carried away he might hurt me. But not tonight, he is not holding back as I feel him ramming against my insides with his full speed and raw strength. One of his arms snake around my waist and lift me up a little, my feet no longer touch the ground I am suspended in mid air now completely at his mercy.  
I'm sure that if I tell him to calm down a little I could make him stop; I could tell him he is being a bit too forceful this time and I'm not sure I can take it. But deep down I have secretly fantasized about how it would be like if he let himself go. I want to know how it feels to mate with a dangerous feral fox, I want to be ravaged by that powerful beast while I surrender myself at his mercy, I need to see him as the ravenous predator he truly is.  
I should tell him to stop, but instead I beg him to fuck me harder.

He makes me scream louder than I have ever screamed before, white hot pain mingles with the most intense pleasure I felt in my entire life, I'm not sure if I'll make it out alive but it is so much worth it. Harder Nick, take me harder I can take it, well I hope I can.  
The high of our climax eventually comes down, but I am still stuck with him while scalding hot water pours all over our skin. He lowers us into the floor and turns the faucet off, then he wraps our tangled bodies with a large fluffy towel and leads us still dripping into our soft bed. I leave all the heavy lifting to him since my muscles refuse to move, it is so comfortable to snuggle with him. We stay cuddled for a long while and I want to fall asleep but his teeth start nipping my neck and shoulders in that playful manner I have known so well. I shudder a little when I look into those deep vibrant green eyes and see that there is still a savage burning inside of them, the growl he gives reverberates through my whole body binging new tingles of pleasure all over me.  
-"Mine"- The word escapes from a deep guttural growl, I can barely recognize his voice as he spoke.  
Then his head nuzzles my face, the coarse red fur rubs deeply into mine, with movements that are frenzied and raw. I don't know what was that all about, but for some reason I am overwhelmed by a strong version of my fox's musky scent, somehow I find that smell comforting.  
I'm not sure what has come over him tonight, I guess it's something we'll have to discuss in the morning, for now we are together and satisfied and that is more than enough. The rest of the world can wait outside, this is our moment and ours alone.

Chapter 9  
Nick's POV  
I woke up at 10 am, in my new plush soft bed by my even plushier and softer mate. Oh fuck, my mate. The gravity of that statement brings a way of panic inside of me, it's not that I'm getting cold feet but for the first time ever since this whole shitstorm started, I realized how terrifying the thought is. Foxes like yours truly have very complicated and long courtship rituals, we are supposed to flirt for years and only have intercourse when we are very close to sealing the bond. Sure we are no strangers to one night stands but those by definition are not supposed to last more than that, one night. For us is either a meaningless romp or a long courtship that ends in marriage, kits and staying together until our golden years waiting for the reaper to come our way.  
But what I have with Judy is neither, our first night ended in wild sex but I never even considered to leave her behind without looking back, yeah I wanted her gone from the city to keep her safe but I would have never dismissed what happened as a meaningless one night stand. That doesn't mean I consciously planned to tie the knot with her on that first night either. Outside circumstances allowed us to stay together and to be honest, the future of our relationship wasn't important since it is quite likely we end up dead long before our plans for a life together come true, but regardless of the wedding the boss is trying to impose on both of us there is now the added issue of the mark I have placed on her last night.  
The memory of what I did to her is fuzzy, because I was going mad with jealousy at the idea that she had to go meet a powerful mafia lord in her bra and panties posing to him as a prostitute. While she was away the primal insecure part of my brain kept whispering "What if she pulls the same spell in Samir as she did with you? One look at her cute perfect little body in that lacey purple underwear and you were lost beyond hope, if the camel feels the same way about her he might make her his, and how could a pathetic fox like yourself measure up against a guy like him?"

I remember being invaded by hopelessness and fear, jealousy and possessiveness were clouding my judgment. Not even when the girls came back, winded but satisfied after a job well done, I felt relief of the emotions that were taking control over me. Annabelle had proudly assured me Samir hadn't even glanced at my bunny for more than a fleeting minute, her salary alone had cost more than all our previous missions together, but I'll be damn if it wasn't worth it.  
Then Judy and I had a minor fight in our room and when she dismissed me to get a shower I lost the grip on my control of these emotions, and the primal hunter still lodged in my brain took over.  
I feel so guilty right now, I didn't held back last night and I'm worried that her frail body might have suffered the consequences for my outburst. Slowly, gently, I caress her soft fur as she sleeps. I'm looking for any sore spots or scratches or any other evidence that could show I went too far, I sense her tense up a little when I touch her lower abdomen and the small of her back.  
The pain wakes her up, big lavender eyes focus on me and I pull my ears back gulping in embarrassment.  
-"Are you okay carrots? Did I hurt you last night?"- I say sounding like a kit that broke his favorite toy, my voice an octave higher than it should be.  
She smiles and shakes her head –"Good morning to you too slick, and yeah it hurt a little but in the good way, if you know what I mean"- She adds winking with a half smile.  
-"Are you sure? I mean I kinda lost control last night I don't know what came over me"- My paws gently stroke the white fur below her muzzle.  
-"Well I was going to ask you about that. What happened to you last night? You were acting weird, I never seen you so out of control before. Is something bothering you?"- Her soft paws caress my cheek, I lean my head into her touch relishing in the feeling.  
-"Many things in fact, I guess we need to talk"- I tell her seriously, sniffing my mark on her. Sighing she jumps out of the bed, I rush to her side when she winces in pain. –"knock it off slick, I'm a little sore but I'm perfectly fine, don't be such a drama queen."- I remember how much it annoyed Judy when I was fussing over her after our attack on the terrorists last week. –"Look I'm taking an ibuprofen, we're gonna have some breakfast and by that I mean a large cup of coffee and then we are gonna have a nice long chat about whatever is bothering you. Don't worry Nick we'll figure all this out."-  
It sounds like a good plan, nonetheless my guilt makes me add a massage session in the schedule right before the coffee. I take my time with the knots on her taut shoulders and the sore spots in her lower torso, though I can't help groping that fuzzy tail of hers. It is kinda fun, touching every part of her without the raging hormones to cloud my memories, seeing her melt into a puddle and her eyes to look at me with complete trust, something I never expected her to feel about me. She never hid her affection, but neither hid nor lied about the fact that deep down, she was a little afraid that I am a fox. Now it's the first time that I see her growing past that kind of stereotype, realizing that the days were predators ate preys are gone forever, or at least they will be once we strike against the terrorist.  
An hour later we sit in the little loveseat close to our bed, coffee mugs in hand, the silence is a little awkward and I don't know what to say, but since I'm the one with the issues I guess it's my responsibility to start talking.

-"Are you feeling better?"- I say eyeing her through the fog of my coffee cup.  
-"Yes I am, now would you please stop worrying about me and tell me what's wrong?"- She is wearing a luxurious silk robe, it easily slides through her fur exposing her shapely legs. Embarrassed at my arousal I look down while I mutter -"Last night, I had been jealous. I didn't like to see you all dressed up in lace and see-through dresses for another guy, I hated the idea that you would be there exposed in front of a perverted fuck and I couldn't do anything about it"-  
-"Nick you knew I wasn't alone and that I wouldn't let him touch me. Look if we are going to be mobsters you need to understand that you can't be my shadow all the time, there will be missions where I will have to be on my own and take care of myself. Why is it so hard for you to trust me?"- There is a hint of frustration and sadness in her voice, how do I explain to her that I do trust her but I distrust myself?  
-"My brain knows you are more than capable of handling yourself, but I am still a canide and we don't like someone else to be too close to our mate, we mammals have evolved but some of our instincts are still there you know?"- It doesn't escape my mind that I did say the M word, I am afraid of its implications but I won't deny it's the truth.  
-"So we are mates now?"- Her face lights up and her cotton tail wags fast, it is the most adorable thing I ever saw.  
-"Yeah, that's another thing I need to tell you about. Last night I marked you; do you know what that means? I mean do bunnies mark each other as well?"- I wanna test the waters before taking the relationship talk plunge.  
She shrugs –"Sometimes but not in the way you did it. When bunnies mark its shorter contact and there isn't a strong scent involved, not that I'm complaining but I still smell yours. We use it as a sign to show affection in general. It's common between family members and sometimes mates, but we have done it to friends as well."-  
So she doesn't really know what marking a mate means, to bunnies it seems to be a lot more casual than it is for my species -"When a fox marks it's either to a mate or a very close family member, and it has a territorial use more than a sign of affection per se. I marked you because I wanted everyone else to know that you are mine, but it was rude of my part to do it without your permission."-  
-"I'm yours?"- She says skeptically lifting an eyebrow; I can tell that an independent female like her would have issue with that  
-"No Judy, but I wish you were. I think we are going too fast sometimes, and it scares me a little, the idea of commitment you know? But last night I understood that I can't stand the idea of you leaving me or belonging to someone else. If I have to take on the boss request for us to marry in order to not worry about it anymore then let's just say, that I don't find the idea so scary anymore."-  
The way she face palms and groans in frustration lets me know I screwed up –"Not being so afraid of marriage is very different to actually wanting to get married."- Her purple eyes seem to pierce into my skull, who knew a cute little bunny could look so scary when mad? –"Listen to me Nicholas, I'm not afraid of spending the rest of my life with you, no matter how short that time might be. In my culture this isn't a fast courtship it's pretty slow in fact, but I would never rush you into something you don't really want. If you don't want to marry me then I will fight the boss himself not to force you into it, I want you to take as much time as you need and I have no problem in waiting until you are ready.

Now if one day you DO want to marry me then don't you dare to be afraid of it or have second thoughts, propose like a proper gentlemammal, and do it because you want to not for pleasing the boss. And if that day comes we will walk the isle and never be apart from each other again.  
But I am not your property and never will be, if you ever betray or abandon me I will suffer a lot and cry for a long while, but after I'm done with feeling sorry for myself I will look for another male who I can love and loves me back. I will never give up on the idea of finding my true love, if that one is you then that is wonderful, but if not I will find someone that does want to be with me for the rest of his life."-  
All the three scenarios she talked about parade like a trilogy of movies inside my head, the first two filled me with joy but the last one unleashed the beast in me once more. I literally saw her being happy with another male, a buck, and it sends me spiraling out of control.  
I jump at her and begin to mark her entire body; my claws rip the silk fabric of her robe but I'm careful to never even grace her skin. My teeth tear the rest of her clothes until she is bare in front of me, I need access to her naked body because clothing would interfere with the mark, from her toes to the tip of her ears, I rub my scent all over her petite form. In the distance I hear her saying that we needed to talk about this, that these possessive fits wouldn't solve our situation and I know she is right. But all I can mutter is growls and the word mine over and over again, only when I'm satisfied that every mammal in a 20 mile radius would get the message I force her to cuddle next to me as my whole body envelopes her, she no longer fights me off as her own instincts make her snuggle with me. I am so lost in my feral fit I even lick her whole face, my teeth sometimes nibble the skin next to her ears and I feel her shake and giggle, it is an ancient sign of affection so primitive that civilized canides no longer use it anymore but she seems to like it anyway.  
-"Dumb fox"- she huffs in protest, it's hard to believe she is still angry when she burrows even deeper into the thick fur of my chest.  
-"My bunny"- I growled in response.  
-"This isn't over you know? As soon as we take down Furia we are going to have a talk"- Her words manage to bring some sobriety into my head.  
-"I know carrots, we'll figure it out I promise"-  
...  
I hate this plan with the burning passion of ten thousand suns, one of the reasons for that is its cruelty, the other one is that I actually didn't come up with it but Raymond did. While Kevin had no problem helping Judy with her plan to kill Samir, it made the polar bear seem a little weak in the eyes of the family, after all it was supposed to be him the one that brought down the camel so he could take over the Sahara turf. Our mission was to secure the Savannah but also to remain in that area, we kinda stepped over the line when Judy almost single handedly brought down the boss of the Sahara mob. Raymond took notice about our excessive meddling, and while he doesn't have any issues with us, he can't afford to let me be the mastermind behind Furia's downfall. So he came up with his own plan and is merely allowing us to help him. We should just sit back and let our much more experienced comrade handle this, but neither I nor Judy can stay away knowing what is at risk.  
Marlene Furia is not like Samir, she never leaves her turf and she has absolute control over who comes in and out of the Canal district. An ambush is impossible; since a literal army of heavily armed mammals overcrowd the entire district. One of the few advantages we have is that her grip is not that strong on the Rainforest, since its high civilian population makes it impossible to rule with the iron fist control she prefers, so that is where the takedown is gonna happen. Even when I didn't come up with the plan I feel responsible for the intel I provided for it. Raymond had asked me to help him out fishing for information against our target, as a way to make amends and make clear we weren't trying to pull the rug from under him I eagerly complied, but had I known my sources would end up putting a tiny baby in danger I would have stayed the fuck away from all of this.  
It all started because of my buddy flash that works for the DMV, it's not glamorous I know, but that place is actually the best source for intel and gossip in the whole city. Behind its boring façade there is an orgy of political favors and backstabbing machinations. Hey powerful people don't like doing lines or paying tickets anymore than any of us do, and in order of escaping that purgatory on earth they ask and pull favors so they can avoid it, many of those come in the form of juicy rumors. There are so many small bribes behind those offices that the final amount they collect at the end of a weekday would make any gangster envious.  
Anyway flash told me that Furia has all the pieces of her empire run like clockwork, with the exception of her one year old son. Apparently she got knocked up by one of her subordinates, the baby daddy disappeared soon after, and it seems she takes little care of her child leaving him in the hands of an underpaid nanny.  
It seems like the baby wasn't expected or wanted so that is why she pays so little attention to him, she merely makes sure he has a roof over his head and food on his belly, the rest she leaves it to her employees.  
So the plan is to kitnap the little cub and demand a meeting with her away from the Canal turf to discuss the ransom, once she is out of the canal we will have the upper paw. I suggested we might want to make a deal with her, if she doesn't mess with our business in the Savannah and is willing to cooperate with the Tundratown family we can let her rule the place. There is a possibility that someone as cruel and cold hearted as her might choose her empire over her own cub, but a son is a son and he must be important to her even if to save her pride over her henchmammals.  
If she says yes the cub will reunite with her mommy and everything will work out fine, if she says no the bullets will fly and it might be a massacre for both sides. So while Raymond does the negotiation with the Rainforest mafia Judy and I will make sure the cub leaves this attack unscathed.  
I asked our weapons providers to build me a special crib that would shield the baby from any harm, it looks kinda like a black egg shaped rocker made of Kevlar and titanium. In the meantime our most experienced comrades will guard the cub and they have strict orders to ensure nothing would happen to him, even surrendering is allowed as long as the baby is safe from harm.  
But still, we are aiding in the kitnapping of an innocent cub. This is stomping over the line we promised to never cross. Judy hates it even more than I do but fails to find any other weakness on our target, the only thing that eases some of the guilt is that we swore that if the baby was harmed in any way we would surrender to Furia, if we ever cross the line at least we will make sure not to cross it again.  
So here we are, waiting in a white van for the nanny to give the baby his usual stroll over the Rainforest main square, two heavily armed tapirs walk by her side. I can see the but of their guns poking through their tacky t-shirts.

-"So Raymund, how are we supposed to do this?"- I ask hoping my frizzled nerves don't get in the way of our mission.  
The polar bear merely smiles and lies back in his seat, two minutes later we hear knocking at the side of our vehicle, Judy slides open the door and we are greeted by the smiling faces of the two tapirs. In the middle of those henchmammals the ocelot nanny holds a cub in her arms, the four of them quickly enter the van and the vehicle speeds off. So that was the master plan, get the caretakers of the cub to work for you, I'm not complaining the less violence is used around the baby the better.  
Without saying a word Raymond hands the tapirs and the ocelot a large stack of bills, with a sly grin the mobsters count their winnings and speak to the imposing polar bear –"So we heard you were hiring?"-  
-"Yes we are, I am the next ruler of the Rainforest and I need young comrades that are familiar with the territory"- Raymond tells them pleased.  
-"Then count us in, we're tired of working for that cunt. She treats us like shit and pays us almost nothing, the only reason we work for her is because if you don't, she'll shoot us out of our own home and hurt our family."- One of the tapirs scowls, yup I heard the situation in the Canal was bad, yet I guess Furia surpassed my expectations. According to rumor the jaguar has led control over her turf through fear, a much different tactic from our boss. One of the reasons that I chose big as my patron so long ago is that usually the shrew uses greed and sound business plans instead of violence to make mammals do his bidding, at least he used to until his sweet daughter was killed.  
-"Is it true Samir Ke'lan was murdered by you? Because the news says he had a heart attack"- One of the tapirs tells me with deep admiration in his hazel eyes.  
-"Not really"- I say with my usual grin –"The credit for that one belongs to my girl over here"- I nod towards Judy, as all eyes focus on her, she places her paws below her back and smiles shyly.  
At first our three new associates have trouble believing such a cute little thing could bring down the most violent mafia lord in the Sahara, but when they see the way Raymond nods his head in respect towards her they realized I wasn't joking -"That is sooo cool ma'am"- The younger one of our new comrades says exited.  
Until now the nanny has been quiet, Judy gets closer to her and gently guides her to one of the nearby seats, then cooes at the sight of the cute little jaguar cub giggling happily. The chubby little fur ball seems to have no problem hanging out with strangers.  
-"He's so sweet! What's his name?"- Judy asks the nanny.  
-"Thiago"- The ocelot says softly –"When that witch is dead I want to keep his custody, she doesn't care about him you know? I'm the one that cares for this baby, I'm the one that stays all night by his side when he is sick, she doesn't even look at him anymore."- Her golden green eyes shine with outrage at the mention of her employer. I make the decision to not let her know that if the plan works well Furia might in fact survive and take the cub from her; at least we can count on Mr. Big to protect her from the retaliation this takedown can cause, otherwise the jaguar would tear that poor ocelot apart.  
So that's it, all Raymond had to do is bribe the underpaid caretakers of her one and only child, and the powerful mobster is on her way to her downfall. It raises an important question, how are we supposed to depend on our comrades' loyalty when we can barely know them? Are we, as leaders of a gang, a stack of dollars away from ending at the wrong end of a gun?

Another unsavory thought that runs around my head is that whatever happens to me and my mate's relationship will never involve kits, not because it would be impossible for a fox to impregnate a bunny, but because no mobster has ever been able to spawn a second generation. Even for someone as careful and paternal as Big, the hope of being survived by his child has been literally crushed, there is no place in the underworld for innocent children. I feel bad for Judy, she is sitting in front of me next to the ocelot playing with the cub, she has an inherent sweetness about her that makes the baby comfortable and happy. It breaks my heart to know deep within my bones that she would be a wonderful mother, yet she can no longer afford to be one, not in this line of work. I keep my usual mask of nonchalance as I swallow the lump in my throat. There is an instinctive need rising inside of me that I have to bury deep and if possible eliminate completely, the primal beast now wants to spread its seed with its mate, as physically impossible as it may be. This time I will not let it win, that matter is settled for good.  
....  
There are snipers on the roofs surrounding the rendez-vous point, we chose the outer limits of the Rainforest District, and we're close to the highway in case we have to make a fast exit towards Tundratown. Behind us there's an abandoned factory near the docks, that building has a basement were the cub is kept in his Kevlar crib, his nanny is beside him. Judy and Koslov guard the baby wearing heavy protective gear and large caliber guns. The takedown outside will be managed by our younger comrades, there are fifteen on the roofs and thirty on the ground, armed to the fangs and posing like the most terrifying army you will ever see. The idea is to bluff our way out; showing our superior power in the hopes the fight will be over before it even starts. But if Furia chooses to attack we will have to bring it all.  
The powerful jaguar arrives just in time, her own army of seventy mobsters follows closely. I remind myself not to panic at the fact that we are outnumbered and our bluff strategy has been rendered useless. At least I don't really have to do anything, this is Raymond's plan and he is the one that will handle the negotiations, he just brought me along as a sign of trust and good faith to show us he wasn't intimidated by me. He wants everyone in the family to know he understands I have no intention to overrule over his power, if I want to survive in this business defusing this kind of petty feuds has to be one of my priorities.  
Marlene Furia is a sight to behold: taller and more muscular than the average female of her species, she manages to look sensual and beautiful in spite of her intimidating presence, or maybe is because of it. She saunters smugly towards us, her larger army behind, when the polar bear wants to begin the exchange of words she cuts him off with a well polished claw. -"Look Raymond I have no time for your little games, just because your family managed to get Ke'elan doesn't mean you are strong enough to take over my territory. My mammals will chew all of you out before the sun sets and I will send you over to that little rat with a pink bowtie, after I tear you a new asshole!"- She shrieks the last part so loud my ears fold into my head in an attempt to salvage my eardrums; it seems the "gracious lady" in front of us doesn't want to spare any energy on even the tiniest pleasantries, and that is kind of a very foolish move. By calling the boss a "rat", which isn't an insult in itself but mammals hate being confused for a different species, she is forcing us to go all out on her. We can't afford to negotiate anymore, in order to retain our honor we have to kill her now, this is all or nothing.

I steal a glance towards the large polar bear beside me; he has an evil smile on his white muzzle. That guy has a plan, and I'm not in on it, otherwise he would be panicking as well. All I can do right now is stand stoic by his side as a sign of support.  
-"If you don't give us the Canal and the Rainforest your son will be killed, in front of your eyes, then we will kill you"- Raymond says calmly, I want to believe he is bluffing, I really do. Yet there is a reason Judy is in the basement next to the baby, if our comrade actually gives the order she will try to stall Koslov enough until I reach down towards her, then we will do our best to save Thiago. It's a suicidal mission but it's still better than living with the murder of a toddler hanging over our heads, look I'm going to hell but I don't want to end up in its deepest pit you know?.  
Marlene gives us a maniacal laugh, which is never a good sign. –"Do what you want with him"- She says slapping her lower abdomen with one paw –"I can make many more if I want to"-  
-"Very well, if that is your wish..."- Raymond says grinning while my brain is thinking of a thousand different ways to get the cub and my mate out of this clusterfuck in one piece, then a scream snaps my attention back into the present.  
The scream came from Furia herself, she was kicked down not by any of our comrades but by one of her own subordinates, a burly capybara with a large scar on his face. Dread invades me as I look into the eyes of every mobster from the Rainforest, there is seething hatred in them, I guess she pushed them too far and at the first possibility to overthrow her they jumped right in. So that was Raymond's plan all along, with the Tundratown mafia taking hold not only of the Sahara but the Savannah as well, many mobsters thought it was better to switch sides before we came after all of them and chose to pick the winning side while they still could.  
-"Que carajo están haciendo?"- The jaguar barked at her subordinates filled with outrage. -"Asegurándonos que nunca más nos vuelvas a joder!"- An alpaca spat from behind her. What followed next is something I would erase from my memory if I could, I know she was ruthless with every mammal that crossed her path, ally or not. But no one, and I mean no one, deserves what they did to her.  
A group of fifteen members of the Rainforest Family circled around her while the rest of her army simply crossed towards our side; I guess we have even more new comrades now. I will never forget the fear in her eyes as she understood what was in store for her. All of them removed their weapons, choosing to beat her up with their own paws and hooves.  
She fought well at first, I gotta give her credit for that, the first ones to fight with her ended up losing an eye or bleeding almost to death. But by the time mobster number seven got in on the action she was covered in blood and barely able to stand. One by one they take their turns, I see an alpaca breaking every bone of her paw, then a panther chews up her arm. I can hear every crunch of broken bones, every scream of pain, at one point she looks at me in despair and I can't take it anymore.  
-"We can't let this happen"- I tell Raymond while trying to control my gag reflex so I don't puke all over the floor, yes killing is part of our job but dragging the suffering of a helpless female is going too far. –"Aren't we supposed to have a code? The Boss always says that without our principles we would be just common criminals, I'm pretty sure he would not be happy about this"-  
-"It is true Nick, the Tundratown family doesn't hurt babies and usually doesn't take longer in killing an enemy more than it is absolutely necessary. But she has to respond not only to us but to her own, be fair and good to your comrades Nicky, or you will end just like her one day"-  
I hear her screams once more; it is not a battle cry but a gurgling pathetic sound that etches into my ears like a leech. I don't want to look, but Raymond puts his paw over my shoulder as he whispers to me that this needs to be done and that I have to be careful not to look away. The message is clear, I cannot shy from this kind of dirty work for I need to show our comrades I can stomach this, and even apply a similar punishment should any of them went astray.  
The rhythmic wet sounds of a hoof banging on her ribcage make my skin crawl, she is crying on the floor while the alpaca beats her without mercy. Now that the alpaca is done the capybara takes his place, she doesn't even fight anymore, pieces of her fur fall scattered on the dirty floor.  
The defense mechanism of my psyche kicks in, my body stands frozen in its place and my face is devoid of emotion, green eyes look only at the empty space. My mind instead zooms out of this awfulness as I dream of a future with my girl. I have been such a dumb fox, worrying about commitment and its implications when tomorrow we could end up dead at the hands of our own comrades. Fuck this shit! I'll propose to her tonight, it is not about the boss' wishes or our involvement in bringing the family their joy, it's about being happy while we still can before this life catches up to us.  
Happy place... happy place... happy place....  
While I fantasized about the proposal arrangements in my head, Marlene Furia gave her last pained breaths, and all that's left of the before powerful mobster is very damaged remains. .....  
Night has fallen. I'm taking a shower hoping to scrub the smell of death and blood from my fur, a difficult task considering it's all probably in my head, since I never came that close to the murder in the first place. Oh well, it could have been a lot worse. At least the baby is safe in the paws of his devoted nanny, Mr. Big offered her a job in one of his legitimate business, she'll be close enough to the mob to be protected but far enough not to get caught in the crossfire of our own business enterprises.  
When I come out I see Judy in her usual mobster suit. Her head cocked to the side and she gives me a reassuring smile that never reached her eyes. I haven't said a single word ever since we left from the Rainforest; she saw what was left of Furia and drew her own conclusions about what had happened. I can tell she is giving me a very patient approach; she's not pushing for information but keeps herself available in case I want to talk about it. My resolve strengthens when I realize she will always have my back, through the good and the bad times, and in this business there will always be a lot of bad times.  
-"Are you ready for the welcome party? The new comrades are at the table already and Yuri says they want to meet us"- Her previous chirp tone turns a little sad –"He is waiting for us outside"- She knows staying in and talk about our problems is not an option, you cannot ditch the boss and your comrades.  
-"Carrots why don't you go take a shower? And put on something nice, I'm taking you out for dinner"- I say casually while drying my fur.  
-"I don't think Yuri would like that, he says this party is important and that the boss will make an announcement"- Her lovely eyes are pools of concern; I kiss the top of her head and smile.

-"Don't worry your bunny little head about it, I'll talk to Yuri"- I send her into the bathroom and put on a nice smart suit, brushing the fur on my face and paws. Satisfied at my reflection I stroll outside our room and sure enough, good old Yuri is waiting for us impatiently right next to our door.  
-"Sorry big guy, we're not going to the party tonight, I'm taking my mate to a nice dinner. I know the boss has an announcement to make, but between you and me"- I say inching closer to the annoyed polar bear in a mischievous tone, the heart of Bamalia now swings in front of his snout –"So do I"-

Chapter 10  
Judy's POV  
I don't know what came over Nick. It has obviously something to do with Furia's murder, from what I could see of what remained of her after we finished the Rainforest job, I can tell it might have been more than he could handle. My fox is not the heartless crook many mammals think he is, below his gruff exterior lies a kind hearted soul and these murders are taking a toll on him; I can definitely understand his need for some personal space, still I fear he might have angered the boss when he made us blow off his request for a meeting.  
For now all I can do is play along until he cools off, maybe he just wants a night to be himself away from the mafia, I feel the same way right now. So here we are, taking a walk in the Savannah central park at midnight, way too overdressed for the occasion. I can tell he is very nervous by the way his ears twitch and his paw pads sweat. The night is cold and the air is crisp, the noises of the city dim in the distance as he leads me deeper into a copse of trees, near the artificial lake in the middle of the square. The moon shines bright over the brown stale water, if we could see the stars more clearly it almost looks like one of the lakes near my hometown.  
It's romantic, in a simple and ubiquitous way. Peaceful, quiet and perfect, this place reminds me that Zootopia is not only a city of broken dreams and false uplifting slogans. This city can be something else, something more, and if not I begin to believe we can make it so even if we have to use non legal means to accomplish that.  
His thick fur brings more warmth in me than my luxurious jacket, I hold him tight and he holds me back. For now I am content to remain quiet in his arms, to forget all the violence and blood surrounding our lives.  
For now everything is right, this moment between us, but of course he has to ruin it when out of the sudden he blurts out –"Would you marry me?"-  
-"Humm what?"- I say with utter stupidity, my large ears are probably playing tricks on me. -"I asked if you would do me the honor of being my wife"- His green eyes are so large and vulnerable, his sarcastic mask completely removed.  
I have wanted to hear those words for a while now, but not after he got traumatized by a grisly murder. As much as I would like to say yes I can't take advantage of his vulnerable situation, the only thing worse than never being proposed to, would be for him to actually do it but regret it afterwards. -"Oh Nick"- I sigh as I lean into his chest –"You are not thinking straight aren't you?"-  
I feel every muscle below his fur tense –"Is that a no?"- I don't look up so I don't see the trepidation in his face, if I did I would melt on the inside and scream a large yes for the entire Savannah to hear.

-"You know I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life by your side. But I cannot take a proposal when you're in this state, something is bothering you and I'm worried you will regret this after the war is over."-  
His paws caress my head, his snout nuzzles the space between my ears-"I am serious about this Judy, one hundred percent"-  
I cannot take his words at face value until he gets these ghosts of gang violence out of his chest -"Then tell me what wrong, talk to me."-  
I hear despair in his voice, feeling the shivers below his fur when he draws a shaky breath -"Everything is wrong, I just saw how a jaguar was killed by her own family and never even saw it coming. That could be us in the future, assuming we don't get killed by our enemies outside of Tundratown. I don't want to face death one day and think I could have had a happy life with you but never had it because I was too cold on my feet."- He lifts my chin with his paw so I can stare into his luminous green eyes, I see it then, the things poets and singers strive to capture but never actually manage to. I see love, real love.  
I'm not even embarrassed to admit I cried, not even the demurred tears movie heroines shed when they are sad so they don't ruin their makeup, no I cried my guts our repeating the words "I do" over and over again.  
I hear him laughing as he holds me even tighter than before –"You bunnies, so emotional"- Nick tells me he didn't have time to buy a ring, like I give a rat's patoot (no offence to rats) about silly details like that, but he tells me we will go buy it right now. I shake my head at that, sure as a big mafia lord he could easily drag a poor mammal from his bed at this ungodly hour and force him to open his jewelry store just so I could have my ring, but I am tired of this pedantic worldview the mafia has. No, I tell my fiancé we will wait until morning like anyone else.  
We walk to the edge of the park and notice Yuri is waiting for us, at first I'm terrified Big has sent him for us as a punishment for not going to his meeting, but as we walk closer I see he has a large smile in his face. Before we can say anything the enormous bear throws his muscular arms around us and squeezes us hard and tight. I have to admit, these mobsters are warming up to me, and I find myself getting attached to them as well, in a twisted way we are a family.  
He led us to the large limousine behind him. When we stepped inside we were greeted with roses and pink champagne, Nick seems pleased but also surprised, I don't think this wasn't part of his plan. I smile when I recognize Manchas is our driver, his eye has healed quite nicely.  
-"Congratulations Miss Judy, or should I say Mrs. Wilde?"- The kind panther says warmly, and then he discreetly rolls up the black window, separating us from him and giving an illusion of privacy.  
Yuri sits on the opposite side, facing me with a solemn expression. Then he gives me a large blue velvet box –"Nick left in such a hurry he forgot the engagement ring"- I pretend not to see when he winks at my fox, let him think I don't know the family is behind this.  
When I open the box we both gasp in surprise, what's inside is outrageous. The white flawless teardrop shaped diamond is so big it's actually pretty tacky, with trembling paws Nick places it on my finger and its weight almost tears my muscles. I hate it, it's impractical and ostentatious, not the kind of jewelry made for expressing love but a gigantic rock created only to advertise how ridiculously rich its owner is. As always, in this business every detail is meticulously planned, it dawns on me why the boss gave me this ring.

When I was working at the Hidden Garden I could always tell the rich and powerful from the ones that are merely rich, you see rich people can live in safe neighborhoods and hire bodyguards but if they strout around the city with a rock this big it won't be long until they are mugged.  
The truly powerful mammals on the other paw are the ones that not only flaunt their luxury but get away with it; a mafia lord can ride his Porsche into the most crime ridden slum and leave the keys in the ignition knowing that by the time they return, the car will be unscathed. Criminals know who to mess with and who to stay away from, so when I flaunt this huge diamond around the underworld other mammals will get the message that I am in charge. Ugh I bet you ten bucks Nick will be given a Prowlex watch as an anniversary gift, and I bet another twenty that it will be as tacky and ugly as it will be expensive.  
Manchas drove us back to the manor, once inside Yuri led us to the main ballroom, right into the party Nick and I were so desperate to avoid. But instead of drunk passed out comrades we are greeted by a delicately decorated room, a large sign reads "Congratulations Nick and Judy" surrounded by red hearts, all our guys are expecting us with bright smiles on their faces as they cheer for us loudly. And yes, among the many gifts they gave us there is a tacky platinum Prowlex for the groom.  
Maybe the boss was right; the idea of a wedding seems to have brightened the mood of the family. There is an atmosphere of hope and cheer in our comrades that I never seen before, Fru Fru's death put a cloak of misery over all Tundratown, and while nothing will bring her back the prospect of a wedding has in fact breathed new life into the family, my family. Meanwhile the biological family I left in the burrows draws a pang of sorrow into my heart, they will probably not see me walk the isle, but it's a small price to pay for their safety.  
The engagement party they threw us was wonderful, but the boss is not the one to miss a needed business meeting. When the party died down all the minor bosses, with me included, found ourselves in one of the tables of the ballroom discussing the issues he so eagerly wanted to address.  
-"My dear trusted comrades, I have good news. Our scientists have found the cure for the poisoned predators; our dear Emmit was one of the first to be treated and is now completely cured. His beloved wife has already taken him home with his children, I trust her when she promised to keep quiet until our plans come through. The rest I'm afraid will be cured but they will have to remain in our custody, they seem to be good mammals so we shall treat them well."-  
-"That's wonderful!"- All of us are more than happy for the news, I heard Olivia stood right by Emmit's cage almost every day, the family made an exception for her and notified the worried otter of her husband's whereabouts so she could be by his side.  
-"That means we have to move on with our plan"- Mister Big has this evil twinkle on his eyes, it's the one that predicts even more bullets will fly.  
-"Sure thing boss"- Kistoff asks –"Now what is our plan?"-  
-"With the cure found it is now time to destroy the mastermind behind this awful war, the best way to do so is for Lionheart to step down his position, since we know his or her goal is to become the next mayor we will be in the lookout for his predecessor. When the new mayor steps on the podium we will know who to bring down. So for now my comrades, we lay low until the chance for our strike comes along, let's solidify our control over our hard earned turfs. But be at the ready, this will be over sooner than you think"- The shrew says the last sentence with a menacing snarl.

...  
One month passed, many species wars were fought in the Zootopia streets and many mammals were killed in the underworld as our family gained complete control. In the meantime, a tiny lamb took over the mayor's office. At first she only spoke of kindness and unity, then she expressed her concern for the predator attacks, yet by the end of her first month in office she proposed a shock collar initiative that would be voted in a few weeks. With nine prey for every predator you don't have to be a psychic to know how that election will turn out.  
The world we knew is crumbling around us, and an even worse version of it might rise of its rotten ashes. Well not if I can help it, I'm done with waiting in the shadows, it's time to make the world a better place.  
My fiancé opens the door for me of the main hall in the ZPD first district; we walk with our heads held high as if we owned the place. Who knows, that might be true in the future.  
On the main reception desk I see the chubby cheetah wearing a sullen expression; he's putting his office supplies into a cardboard box, when he sees us there is no fear anymore just a sad despondency.  
-"Hey buddy, long time no see"- Nick tells him lowering his sunglasses –"Would you mind telling Chief Bogo we want to see him?"-  
-"I can't do that anymore, they removed me from the reception because they think it would be better if the citizens aren't greeted by a predator, as the first thing they'll see when they come to the station."- The poor large feline says on the verge of tears –"You can wait for my replacement to announce you in or knock on his office, I don't care."-  
I feel so sorry for him, I know too well how it feels to be shunned from a work opportunity because of my species, I can't help placing a paw over his arm. –"Don't worry, this won't last forever, you will get your job back before you settle into the new one. Where are they moving you into by the way?-  
-"The basement, next to the boiler room."- He begins crying as soon as he finished his words, awkwardly I pat his arm but made the mistake to hover too close to him, so he lifted me into his furry fat arms and gave me a large hug. I don't know if he forgot but I'm a dangerous mobster and we aren't supposed to even like each other, I guess he must feel extremely lonely for him to seek comfort in someone like me.  
-"You're so plushy!"- He exclaims crying, I throw an angry glare at Nick who can't stop laughing. My fox soon gains his composure and taps the cheetah's shoulder, making him let go of me.  
-"Don't sweat it mammal, if you ever grow tired of being in the basement come talk to us, we could use someone with your skills"-  
I could see the receptionist consider the proposition; his only response towards us was –"I'll think about it"- and a court nod.  
Soon after we made it to the fourth floor Bogo lets us into his office, neither of us wants to waste time in shallow pleasantries so I address the large buffalo as soon as he closes the door.  
-"When we first came here you told us your price, the fourteen missing mammals unharmed and the culprit of their disappearance. The mammals are in Cliffside, they were poisoned with a serum made of a toxic plant and its effects include a violent erratic behavior that turns them into violent savages."-

-"So that is what's causing the attacks"- Bogo's eyes are big as saucers when the revelation hits him –"We have to tell everyone before more riots break out"- He is about to pick up the phone when Nick stops him.  
-"The thing is Chief, that not only we found the mammals but also the instigator of these attacks, and I guarantee you that if you alert your superiors she will make sure you are silenced."-  
-"And may I ask who is responsible for all this?"- Bogo said lifting an eyebrow, his left eye twitches out of repressed anger. He might be prejudiced in a few ways, but predators constitute seventy percent of the police force, the anti pred sentiment has probably harmed many of his coworkers.  
-"Mayor Bellwether, she is behind the poisonings. It was all a ruse for her to get in power, she is allied with the Movement for Pray Supremacy and has an obvious anti predator agenda"- I tell him matter of fact, hoping he won't think I'm crazy. It can be hard to believe a little fluffy ewe could be capable of such cruelty.  
-"I wish I could say I am surprised"- The chief says placing his elbows on his desk and his chin over his entwined hooves –"But after the directives she sent to me this morning I can see your point"- He gives us a piercing glare, if we didn't have the upper paw I would be a little nervous at the intensity his eyes display. –"So what do you suggest we should do about it?"-  
-"Well now that you mention it, we do have a plan to bring her down"- Nick says casually with his trademark smug grin –"But we might need a little help from you guys"-  
A loud grumble emanates from the mega fauna and the desk shakes when he slams his hooves in it, as the buffalo leans forward I hear the air pass through his nostrils, his snout inches from Nick's muzzle.  
-"Listen to me fox"- anger invades me when I hear the venom emanating from that last word –"Just because I agreed to cooperate doesn't mean I'm willing to break the law"-  
I know my fiancé is about to snap and chew his face off, but we can't afford to lose the support of the police, not if we want our plan to succeed without hurting innocents.  
The voice that comes out from my muzzle doesn't sound like my own, if you close your eyes you would guess it was a lion roaring instead of a bunny -"You will cooperate! Because if you don't I assure you many civilians will be hurt. So unless you want to have more blood in your hooves I suggest you shut the hell up and pay attention"-  
That seems to do the trick; both males seem to calm down as they obediently sit back on their respective chairs.  
Taking a deep breath Bogo says with much practiced, yet still much faked cordiality. –"I'm listening"-

Chapter 11  
Nick's POV  
So this is it then, the end of the line, the end of the story. Once this tiny little ewe is done with, the whole species war will simmer down. It will not end by the way, it has been raging for many centuries and it will continue for many more, hatred isn't something you can get rid off with one great act of valiance. But at least there won't be so many raids or protests and the shock collars will be dumped, along with the thousands of cruel little gadgets mammalkind has created to fuck with each other.

Our plan it's brilliant in its own simplicity. Funny choice of words, is that something movie villains like to say? It sure sounds like it. Anyway we are doing this tomorrow morning, there will be no sleep for us and our comrades, if we want to do this right we have to set up with many hours in advance.  
The final blow to this witch belongs to me and my bunny, yeah you heard it MY bunny, we are tying the knot at the end of the summer. Right now we're setting everything we need in the natural history museum, there are sites to be occupied by snipers, security measures to discuss with the police, and of course some sheep to kill. Once everything is prepared it's just a matter of sitting and waiting. In the meantime, there are many things I could do to kill time in this place since I am hanging out with my mate right now, but my girl won't risk the mission by getting distracted with her fiancé. Figures I ended up falling in love with the only bunny that isn't a sex driven nympho, though she says that's a stereotype more false and harmful that the cute one.  
We hide in the several nooks and crannies made by old statues and exhibits, the new mayor will give her speech regarding the shock collar initiative right at the front doors of the museum, next to the police department.  
Times goes by kinda slowly but it's really important for us to set everything before the "authorities" come in and search the perimeter looking for possible threats, say what you want about those psycho terrorists but the fuckers sure are methodic and careful. I guess you can't manage to put an entire city on its knees without lots of patience to guide your malice.  
I hear the sound of hooves clacking on the distance.  
And here they are! Our first victims. Two fat sheep are snooping around the museum, their police uniforms aren't fake, these are corrupt cops from the seventh district in the meadowlands. Chief Bogo probably knows about their involvement with the Movement for Pray Supremacy, he told us defeated that all he could do was enforce the transparency of his own district; it was not his place to meddle outside of his jurisdiction unless he was specifically called for it. I guess that is one of the reasons he chose to turn the blind side on this one, plus my girl can make pretty strong arguments when she is determined. Dang, when I think of the way she faced the large buffalo and made him cooperate I feel kinda fuzzy inside, and horny. Have I mentioned how hot she looks in her all black assault gear? The rams come closer to the main hall of the museum; we stare at them hiding close to the ceiling, next to a service ladder. A gigantic chandelier lights up the hall, it is so big it can actually support and hide two comrades. At my signal they ready themselves and attack. Lobato, our favorite wolf, and a slim cheetah named Garraza lunges at the pair. Lobato breaks one of the sheep's' neck while Garraza chooses to choke the other one to death. We need these killing to be as silent and clean as possible, if we want our plan to work they can't know about it until it's too late for them to stop it.  
The corpses are thrown out behind the statue of a mammoth. Then our comrades put on a costume we borrowed from the ZPD, they are apparently used for undercover missions, when they put those on they look like sheep themselves. I snicker when I see Lobato, a true wolf in sheep's clothing. I kinda like the guy, which is saying a lot since I used to think wolves were pretty dumb, but it turns out their dependent behavior is more of a result of their pack culture than lack of courage or brains. At this point Judy and I are planning to divide our own turf and put some trusted comrades to help us out, we have achieved so much power in so little time that we can see we'll have trouble managing it or even keeping it in our grasp, if these guys don't fuck this up I can see a few promotions for them in the future.  
Morning comes and all is set, if everything goes according to plan we won't have to do anything, since our job as bosses is merely to supervise the mission and take care of things only if something goes wrong.  
But make no mistake, for this plan to succeed there were many pieces to puzzle out. Nothing in this scenario has been left unplanned. There is a reason why the most conservative and anti-pred members of the press are on the front rows, between them and the other less biased journalists are a handful of our comrades in regular clothes and undercover cops, they are forming and invisible barricade for what I like to call "The splatter zone". Bogo himself will be guarding the mayor; he stands on the podium waiting for Bellwether to make her grand appearance.  
And here she comes, the belle of the ball, the little ewe that managed to knock down a lion with nothing more than her wits and a shitload of hate. She gets off her large limousine with a springy little step and a sweet smile, that soft fluffy thing is about to announce one of the cruelest government-enforced torture measures while looking like a cute meek pray, fuck I know politics is all about hypocrisy but this is way too much for me to stomach.  
I let her talk, the first part of her speech is all about unity and cooperation and how it's so important not to judge all predators for the deranged actions of a few. Knowing her the dark little details of her twisted initiative will filter in her speech over time, the evil torture devices will be described as necessary and cruelty free. Sorry sweetheart, I'll deprive you the pleasure of speaking those words and the collars will never even be mentioned, I take my girl's hand and give her a passionate kiss, the intercom is held between us so both can give the orders.  
-"Boom"- We say in unison through the speaker.  
-"Roger that, bosses"- Or best sniper responds through the intercom.  
We stare at the press conference from our privileged position climbed high on the front dome of the museum, the show is about to start and I don't want to miss a single detail.  
There is no gunshot sound, no sign that something's wrong except for the fact that Bellwether stopped talking, she places her hoof on her neck where the projectile impacted, dumbfounded she stares at her hoof and finds it stained in blue.  
I smile as I see her shake her head in denial, the rams behind her soon find out something's wrong, Bogo plays the part of clueless dimwit so perfectly I wanna hug that buffalo-butt and pay him some nice vacations, it is his deliberately slow response that will allow the next phase of our plan to come through.  
And now comes the fun part, good luck with peddling the idea of only predators being dangerous when a tiny little prey goes batshit crazy on the helpless members of the press, she didn't manage to kill the reporters on the front row thanks to the security measures we coordinated with the police. Pretty soon a heroic tiger saves a bigoted hare from being mauled by a savage sheep, and everything happens in front of a hundred cameras, the image soon spreads like wildfire over the internet.  
Panic has broke down on the press conference, most reporters run for their lives away from that dangerous ewe, only the brave ones remain pointing the cameras at Bellwether's downfall. Now for the final stage of the plan, with most civilians out of the way we give the second signal to the rest of our snipers.

The four rams that stood on the podium turn savage as well, creating a stampede that rolls down on the remaining reporters and the undercover agents, both from the mafia and the police. More images of terrifying sheep flood the media and the web, our guys even shoot a few bunnies for shits and giggles, and now wild lagomorphs dig their teeth on their victims. This time Bogo did act, it took him several minutes but he along with two rhinos managed to subdue the savage beasts and sedate them before they could cause serious harm to the civilians.  
The crazed looks on the sheep and the paralyzing fear of their hapless victims is priceless. We use the second wave of shots and the savage rams they created to cause enough chaos for us to slip away, and also delete any evidence of our involvement.  
.....  
Two weeks have passed, it has been pretty busy for us lately with the running of a criminal empire through the Savannah and all, but compared to the first days in the family this is a walk in the park. I asked our boss to let us live in our own turf, because managing the Savannah while living in Tundratown has been pretty inconvenient, but Mr. Big insists that families must always stay together.  
Family, that word has an actual meaning for me once more, even if it's a little different than what it used to be. My girl snuggles next to me in our perfect bed, in our perfect room, and I can't help feeling that I am where I belong. For the first time in my life I feel at home, and now I have come to terms of what needs to be done in order to protect it, killing will never amuse me but I no longer dread the frequent moments when I have to do it.  
Our large TV shows an interview with the reinstated mayor of Zootopia, good old Lionfart. This is an improved version though; this lion now has a short leash currently handled by Mr Big and is no longer indifferent about the plight of minorities. He even suggested a mammals inclusion initiative so animals of all species and sizes could be allowed to apply of any job they wanted, police forces included, for Judy it was too late but at least other bunnies will be able to follow their dreams. Our favorite shrew has managed to make him look like a savior, who came back into power to breach the prey-pred gap the attacks caused in the city; it doesn't hurt his image the fact that soon after he took office the poisonings were exposed along with its cure for the savage mammals.  
The interview in the screen shows the lion sitting in front of a pretty ocelot journalist.   
Reporter: -"And we are back in ZNN news with mayor Lionheart, who was called in to take office after Mayor Bellwether turned savage. Tell me mayor, how does it feel to be back in office after the incidents in the Natural History Museum?"-  
Lionheart: -"Has it been a difficult task? Yes, yes it was, but we are doing our best to bring the city out of this unjust species war."-  
Reporter: -"According to chief Bogo the responsible for all these attacks is the Movement for Pray Supremacy, a terrorists group that targets predators. But do you have any ideas of why an anti-pred organization would target a prey mayor? One that, as recent discoveries by the ZPD point out, was related to that same group as well?"-  
Lionheart: -"I might have an answer for that, you see in her later years Bellwether and I worked closely, you could almost say we became best friends. I wouldn't be surprised if she had changed her mind on predators over time, she did speak of unity in her speeches if you recall correctly."-  
I laugh my tail off at the amount of bullshit Lionfart is able to spew as he lies through his teeth, I don't know whether to scoff at his ultra fake smile or nominate that fucker to an Oscar. My bunny punches me in the arm; she says my cackling doesn't let her hear the news.  
Then the lion looks deeply into the eyes of the female reporter in front of him, I take it back that guy deserves at least a dozen academy awards, with a sad and obviously well rehearsed expression he tells the pretty ocelot:  
-"It is entirely possible that when Bellwether spoke of peace between species the terrorists felt betrayed and hit her as well, sadly as you already know her small body couldn't tolerate the strength of the serum and she passed away two days after turning savage."-  
I roll my eyes at the fabricated cover story, no we didn't hit her with a different serum than any other mammal, and she should have been turned to normal when the cure for the serum came up. If anything my guys tell me she was in fact cured and had a rabid fit when she found out we destroyed her conspiracy, but instead of being turned to the authorities she was declared dead and disappeared from the hospital.  
I don't know what happened to her, the boss never told me. Bogo is clueless about it as well, all he said when I asked him is "I don't care".  
-"What do you think happened to that ewe?"- I wonder aloud, not really expecting an answer from Judy. But as I turn around to meet her sweet face I see her deep violet eyes turn dull and distant.  
-"Annabelle told me, truth is I don't want to believe her and you know how she is, she loves playing with mammal's minds. But knowing Lionheart and after all I heard from the girls in the Down Low, I can't help but think it's quite likely"- Her voice is soft and shy, she looks like a small meek plush toy, the literal manifestation of a cuteness overload. I can't help to wrap my arms around her in a foolish attempt to protect her from this cold cruel world, even if it's just for a little while.  
-"What did Annabelle say?"- I ask not really wanting to know the answer.  
-"She says that he has a fetish for small prey females, and as a big lion he has trouble controlling himself sometimes, so things can get more violent than expected. After that first night in the club, when he asked for me, the other girls gave me a lot of security tips and even the bouncers said they would be around in case he went too far"- The memory of that time of her life brought tears to those amethyst large eyes, all I can do about it is caress her between the ears, she likes that.  
Yikes, and I thought Furia had it bad, at least her torment didn't last more than a few hours. I honestly hope that twisted gazelle lied, and that Bellwether is just another Popsicle drifting below the ice, but I look at Lionfart through the large TV screen and see a twinkle of deviousness in his eyes.  
Would that lion be capable of imprison the ewe that tried to ruin him and removed him from office? Yes, yes he would.  
Is he sick enough to use her as a personal slave for every single one of his twisted needs? Yes, yes he is.  
Does that mean that Bellwether is actually alive and suffering the worst punishment a mammal could ever be subjected to? I don't know, taking a page from Bogo's book (I'm starting to like the guy, please don't tell anyone I'm too embarrassed as it is) I decide that I don't really care.  
What I do care about is taking Judy from her dark place, so I drag her to the top floor of the manor. There is an almost abandoned ballroom with a huge skylight, its walls covered in silk wallpaper and the roof is decorated with solid gold that reflects the light in a magical way. It was made for very special occasions, like the wedding Fru Fru almost had. This will also be the place where we'll celebrate our own wedding, a shiver of dread runs down my spine at the thought that we are supposed to give back the celebration our family once lost, but Judy told me the parties, rituals and costumes don't actually mean anything. She says the prettiest dresses and fanciest wedding rings are useless if the person beside you when you stand on the isle doesn't love you back, I want her to have the party of her dreams, but that's kinda hard when she refuses to tell me what she wants because she doesn't seem to pay much importance to it. Good thing the Ottertons are hopeless romantics and are thrilled about being our wedding planners, I'm glad to let them handle this because I suck at romancing the opposite sex, as a lowlife conmammal let's just say females didn't flock in droves towards me. Olivia told me Emmit was actually a florist a few years ago and that he was very experienced in this kind of thing, but then recession hit and he lost his shop, which forced him to beg Mr. Big for employment.  
I make Judy look through the large windows overlooking all Tundratown, the pure white snow falls in dancing snowflakes to the freezing ground. Elaborate gothic style cathedrals shine in the distance, deep blue lakes scatter the landscape, and mammals of every size and species go about their lives in the typical bustle of every large city. I have spent so many years thinking about the corpses below the frozen soil I forgot to notice the beauty this place has when you saw it from above. In the underground we call Tundratown "the city of bones", joking that there are more dead bodies within its corners than there are bricks on its walls, and now we are part of that violent history.  
-"It's beautiful, don't you think?"- She says relaxing in my arms, a dreamy expression on her face.  
I place my snout between her large ears –"It is carrots, and it's our home"-

Chapter 12  
Mr. Big's POV  
It still hurts sometimes, most times actually. Foolish of me to think that revenge would solve everything, now my enemies are defeated, and the ruffians that killed my daughter and the ones above them are gone while my empire is larger than ever. Yet none of that has brought my Fru Fru back, and I would gladly give all away in exchange of seeing her sweet face one more time.  
I am surprised that after she died the world kept spinning, here I am, torn in a million pieces while mammals around me move on with their lives. And before I realized it so did I, the business didn't crumble instead it got much bigger, the family wasn't broken it just got stronger. But even those that barely knew my Fru Fru see something has changed in this world, it got meaner, darker and crueler in the blink of an eye. She was the warmest and nicest mammal in the whole world, she brought light into this cold ancient manor, and nothing will make things the way they used to be.  
But light will come, not as bright as before but warm enough to stave off this morbid cold. Decades ago the founder of the Tundratown family built an empire on violence and counterfeit alcohol, the prohibition times brought a large surge of crime, so large that it had to be organized and ruled over.  
In the underworld this pioneer is revered as a saint, since most criminals know they are not in good terms with the deities above, they chose to pray to one of their own. His name was Albert Canidone, an arctic wolf. His beautiful wife, a black ewe named Alice Sheperd, is credited with the moral code the family still upholds to this day. Both created an entire empire out of illegal substances and their own blood, sweat and tears.  
So when Nick came up with his tail literally between his legs asking me to spare a cute bunny he met the night before, most comrades couldn't help feeling somewhat thrilled about the prospect of another prey-pred couple working for us. What the new members don't know is that I was already planning to hire Judy as a hitmammal long before Nick made a deal for her, she was smart brave and resourceful. Her current position of power doesn't surprise me. But I didn't want to drag an honest mammal into the underworld unless it was what they asked, had she not been so proud and told me about her problem I would have helped her with the loan shark a long time ago, for a price of course.  
Nick on the other paw, I have always liked him. He had everything he needed to be successful, was smart and cunning, and possessed an ability to read mammals that could have been mistaken for psychic. But what he lacked was ambition; he was so proud of being independent he ended up enslaving himself to the streets without even noticing, that fox had grown used to scrape by living day to day. So when he was smitten by Judy I used it to force some initiative into his stubborn head, now look at him, a true mafia boss on his own right. For us, the union between a canide and its natural prey has a spiritual meaning, it would be a return to form, and that's why it is so important for us that their marriage goes perfectly. And for that to happen there is one little issue I have to settle up.  
My office is cold as always, my trusted comrades stay behind my desk, at my side there is a portrait of my little girl next to the one of grandmamma. In front of my desk there are two bunnies, poor country folk that have no idea of what they have gotten themselves into.  
-"Mr. Big, we came here for our daughter Judy. We were told that she works for your enterprise but we think it's best if she comes back to the farm with us, this place is not good for a doe like her"- The male, a buck named Stuart tells me determined even when his nose twitches in fear. He is overly aware of the polar bears behind me and what they are capable of, it takes a lot of courage to confront me like this, and I respect that.  
-"Judy has adapted quite well into our family, she is very happy here, in fact she is going to marry in a few weeks"- I say calmly, I know that won't dissuade them but I want to keep things civilized for as long as possible.  
The couple in front of me winces and a few tears fall from the wife's eyes.  
-"She's going to marry a fox"- Bonnie says crying.  
-"Is that a problem?"- I say a bit more forcefully than I would like, speciesm is almost understandable in the ignorant culture of the countryside but it is not tolerated in my manor. The doe leans forward so suddenly Yuri almost grabs her in an attempt to defend me, I raise my paw ordering him to stay back, all this bunny wants is to place her front paws as close to me as possible and bow her head, she doesn't want to attack me she is just begging. -"Please Mr. Big, leave my Judy alone. I beg you! She is only a young bunny you don't need someone like her in your..."- She struggles to find the right words –"Business, we can give all the produce you want for free for the rest of our lives! But please, please let us get our daughter home"-  
Poor bunnies, they spent the entire summer waiting for their sweet baby girl to come back from the big city, tired of her excuses they chose to take things into their paws and rode into Zootopia. I commend their detective work; it only took them five days to find her... and us. Judy explained them that she was engaged to a fox that she was in love with, and that she was very happy in Tundratown, but for mammals like the Hopps the thought of one of their kits becoming mobsters must be hard to process.  
Now I am in a bit of a pickle, usually when I have a meeting with another mammal either we reach an agreement or they reach their maker after a good swim in the arctic waters. But, alas, icing them is not an option and they seem too stubborn to accept my reasoning. I could not into my good conscience kill a couple of mammals who only want the best for their family, the world of the underground stays in the underground, we do not go after the ones that live outside and follow the rules. Besides look at them, that couple is so quaint they look like they came out of a wholesome country inspired painting, my comrades wouldn't have the heart to ice such adorable bunnies anyway. So what can I do? I guess I have to shove a good dose of reality down their heads, I cannot kill them but I certainly can kill their illusions. -"Be careful ma'am, that kind of deals are the ones responsible for your daughter's current situation. It was your debt what caused her to seek work in one of my restaurants, and when you called her asking for help when the debt became too big, how did you expect her to find the money?"- I see their ears drooping and guilt strikes their faces, I don't enjoy what I have to do now, bringing bad news to good mammals is never easy.  
–"She saw no choice but to seek work as a prostitute for one of my clubs, but she was very lucky, her first and only client became her lover and soon he will be her husband. She is the most puritan prostitute I have ever met"- I ad with an amused smile, I hear Yuri and Koslov chuckling behind me.  
–"Today she rules by Nick's side, not as his wife but as an equal on one of the most prominent districts in Zootopia. Instead of trying to drag her to her previous home you should support her in her new one, she is part of MY family now, either you walk away and let her be or join us. Think about it, do you really want Judy to walk to the isle by herself?"- I ask warmly, maybe I can get to them through love instead of fear. Just in case I use a little of both, my voice turns menacing as I utter the last sentence of my solid argument.  
–"Let me warn you that my family is bigger and more powerful than yours, but there is always room for more, loose a daughter or gain a clan, your choice"-  
After much crying and arguing Mr. and Mrs. Hopps agree on letting her stay, well actually they are still unhappy for the way things turned out, but at least they understand that there's nothing they can do about it.  
...  
The wedding is perfect, and that is the way it has to be, few understand the significance of this celebration but for me this is paramount. My old shrew heart knows this might be more meaningful to me than to the bride or groom, but unions of this caliber also have some much needed political values. It is a matter of time before the Tundratown family separates again, if only for convenience. All the minor bosses insist on living in their respective turfs, managing the intricacies of a criminal empire is hard enough without being far from their territory, when I force them to live under my roof I admit I am jeopardizing their grip on their districts. But I fear they are not ready to be on their own, and while none of them have any problem giving a piece of their earnings to the main manor, sooner or later they will realize that the best course of action is to form separate families again. And then it will be more of the same, there will be five families running their own turfs, but itching to gain more power. And one day, maybe the next year or the next century, another mob war will break out.  
So for now I'll do my best to keep all my comrades together, who knows maybe a unified leadership is unlikely but not impossible. To make things worse as the war comes to an end the stamina of revenge that fueled me is running out, now old age is creeping over me once again, and I don't know if I'll pass the next winter. If I passed to another life at least I can say I did what was right, even when the authorities don't see it that way. In the meantime wait for me my little girl, and tell grandmamma to have the cannolis ready.  
But today, I put those fears behind me. I have to commend the Ottertons for their dedicated work. Today the great hall at the top of the manor is clean and fresh, the cobwebs of it abandonment have been scrubbed away. Countless aromatic flowers flood every corner of the ballroom and every piece of crystal, from the chandeliers to the windows, shine and sparkle at the muted sun. Autumn weddings sure are lovely; they remind me of my own so many years ago, but that my friends it's a story for another time.  
Our manor is finally alive with thousands of individuals running around and celebrating. The family is smiling once more, even me, that is something I thought would never happen again. The atmosphere is so bright and festive, a lot of it comes from the swarm of adorable bunny kits playing on the manor, the Hopps are a lot like us they stay together no matter what. So now the entire family, with its over five hundred members have come to the wedding, even when most of them don't agree on having one of their own married to a fox.  
For the first time in decades the manor is overcrowded. That means we have many more mammals for possible employment, if they want to work the land and stay away from the underworld that is a decision I can respect. Yet I can't help but notice that many of Judy's siblings could be as strong and capable as she is, and I can see a glint of ambition in the eyes of a few of them, either way our doors will always be open for business.  
Through the large windows I see Koslov and Yuri playing with the bunny kits on the gardens below, they are covered by the sweet little fluff balls as they twirl around aimlessly on the snow, I have never seen them look so happy.  
The time has come, the isle had to be placed outside near the edges of the frozen lake, otherwise it would be impossible for all mammals present to witness the vows, and neither of the two now joined families would ever leave one of their members behind.  
The groom fidgets in his side of the isle, his best man, a small fennec fox keeps telling him to "be cool" (this kits and their modern language or "slang" as they seem to call it). To the unobservant eye he might seem saddled with a case of cold feet and ready to bolt, Stu and Bonnie sure think so and I don't know if they dread it or hope for it. But we know he had been very invested in making everything perfect for his mate, the problem is he is afraid something might happen, or that an enemy would try to strike us while we are distracted. That, I'm afraid is the fear a mobster must live with for the rest of his or her life, that a single moment of happiness can easily turn into tragedy. We in the underworld are one mistake away from getting killed, or what is much worse, seeing our loved one die. It is a risk we take every day and every night, I know from experience how awful that can be.  
And here comes the bride, she wears a Furra Wang silk white dress, one of the most beautiful and exclusive designs ever created. The family insisted a turf boss like her should only wear the best. On top of the dress she wears a pure mink white coat, several of our comrades and their families were happy to donate for its hair, her purple eyes shine with unshed tears of happiness as she takes her place by the jittery groom.  
How treacherous time can be, you spend weeks, months or years waiting and preparing for something. Maybe it's a brutal revenge, or maybe it's a beautiful wedding, you hone your expectation about it and when that precious moment happens, it goes by so fast you could barely grasp it in your mind. Today time as sped up to its limits, because I swear I just blinked after the vows and now the moon is fading away, a new dawn is coming and the party is dying down.  
The happy couple has retreated hours ago, too eager to star their honeymoon, sadly they will have to spend it in the Savannah because business have to be conducted and it is true that crime never takes a vacation.  
We work harder than any mammal could ever know, we will defend our comrades through our dying breaths and we will crush any enemy or traitor that dares to cross our path.  
We are the Tundratown mafia, and as of today, we rule Zootopia.  
...  
THE END.


End file.
